Demons Within---A Chicago Fire Story
by mom2jlg
Summary: There's a new Candidate at Station 51...and he reminds Kelly Severide of himself as a young firefighter. That is until the team finds out their newest team member has a dark secret...
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Casey knocked on the door.

"Enter!" Boden's deep bass called out.

Casey shot a look at his fellow lieutenant, Kelly Severide, and opened the door.

The two filed into the office.

"You wanted to see us, Chief?" Casey asked.

"Yeah...sit down."

The men did as they were told. Once they were settled Boden shoved a personnel jacket slowly across the desk. Kelly reached out to pick it up.

"What's this?" he asked.

"New candidate...he's gonna be with you on Truck, Casey."

Kelly handed the folder over to Matt, who flipped it open. He glanced through it, before handing it to Kelly.

Severide looked down at the form. It was all the demographics. All the basics.

The guy's name was Trey Wilson...twenty-five...graduated at the top of his class at the Academy.

51 always got the cream of the crop...they'd had some damn good firefighters pass through their doors.

Kelly glanced through the pages.

Kid had military experience...four years in the Navy.

That should strike a chord with Chief Boden.

"Looks like a good fit." Severide commented as he handed the jacket back to the chief.

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Alyssa was alone in the store...alone with Lexi and Maggie.

Maggie sat on a high stool at the counter coloring in her new no-mess coloring book.

God Bless whoever the genius who created Color-Wonder was.

And Lexi was in the port-a-crib playing with her toys.

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Lyssa was signing donation letters...

Dear Mr. or Ms. So-and-so...thank-you for your generous donation to St. Pasqual's Helping Hands...something about counting your blessings and sharing your good fortune with others...

It was all for a good cause and they were doing something positive for the community.

But there was so much paperwork.

Helping Hands was a resale shop she and her sister-in-law had conceived about five years before after their homes had been gutted by fires. The church community had really banded together and helped their families out with donations of household supplies and when their homes were repaired they decided to find away to pay forward the generosity shown to them.

They did a lot of work with organizations that helped women get out of abusive relationships and get themselves and their children into safe homes...often times in reduced rent apartments...and the women came to the store to get items they needed to set up house.

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The bell above the front door jingled, and Alyssa looked up to see a young woman...a girl, really...walk in. She was small...extremely thin...with long, mousey brown hair falling in her face. And even though it was almost ninety degrees outside she wore jeans and a long sleeve shirt.

She stayed along the outside wall...working her way around the shop...looking at everything. She picked up a couple of items...a colander and a two-cup measuring cup...and a picture frame. Holding them close to her she approached the counter.

Alyssa smiled and set her papers aside the register.

"I see you found a couple things..." she said.

Now that the girl was standing in front of her, Lyssa was surprised to see that she was actually quite tall. Well...quite tall when compared to her. But the girl kept her head down, and her shoulders rolled forward...making her appear smaller than she was.

The girl didn't say anything. She just kept staring at the counter top.

"We get new items in pretty regularly." Alyssa said. "Every day or two...are you looking for any particular items?"

The girl shook her head.

"No." she said softly...almost in a whisper. "Just a few things for the apartment."

"My name's Alyssa...and these are my daughters...Maggie...and Lexi."

The girl raised her eyes...and smiled a tiny smile.

"I'm Veronica..." she said.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Veronica." Alyssa said as she held out her hand.

Veronica just stared for another moment, then she tentatively took Lyssa's hand and shook it.

It was a weak handshake...even for a girl.

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Alyssa rang up the items.

"That'll be three fifty." she said.

Veronica dug into the pocket of her jeans and pulled out a wrinkled five dollar bill.

Once she'd made the change, Lyssa wrapped the frame and the measuring cup in paper, then whispered to Maggie to get a plastic bag from under the counter.

Maggie did...and she held it opened so her mommy could put the girls purchases inside.

"That's my big helper..." she said, as she ruffled the strawberry blonde curls. "What do you say?"

Maggie looked up and smiled a huge smile.

"Tank you for shopping a' Helpin' Hans!" she said proudly.

Veronica gave the little girl a slightly bigger smile...and nodded. Then she collected her bag and left the store, the bell over the door jingling once again.

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Alyssa watched her go...walking east down Irving Park.

"Mommy?" Maggie asked. "Why dat girl so sad?"

The four year old was perceptive.

Alyssa turned to her daughter.

"I think maybe she's just shy." she said gently. "Maybe she's new in the neighborhood."

That answer seemed to work for Maggie, and she went back to her coloring. But Alyssa couldn't help but think there was more to it than that.

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She was still thinking about it when Kelly came home the next morning.

"Hey..." he said tiredly as he came into the kitchen from the four seasons room.

Alyssa looked up from the bacon and sausage patties she was frying.

"Hey yourself..." she answered.

He dropped his bag and came up behind his wife and wrapped his arms around her.

"God, I missed you last night..."

She turned into him.

"Rough night?" she asked.

The city was in the middle of the worst heat wave they'd had in ten years. The temperatures soared to over a hundred during the day, and barely cooled when the sun when. Compounding that...there hadn't been a cloud in the sky for three weeks.

That had made for some disastrous incidents all over the city...and Station 51 responded to their fair share.

"A couple of winners..." Kelly told her. "Buncha kids...playin' with firecrackers in the park. Set a tree on fire."

"Oh, God..."

"Then we had a genius who turned his basement into a swimming pool...he just forgot to cut the power."

"He electrocuted himself?"

Kelly shook his head.

"No...he had a rat problem. _Had_..."

The depths of some people's stupidity never failed to amaze him.

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But it was over...for the next forty-eight hours.

"What's the game plan for today?" he asked.

"The boys have camp...Mouch is taking Maggie to her program..."

"And you have a doctor's appointment." Kelly said.

"At eleven." she nodded.

"I wanna go with you..." he told her.

He wanted to see how Alyssa was coming along after the surgery she'd had six months ago. She had just finished an extra eight weeks of PT, trying to get some more strength and increase her range of motion..and he was anxious to see if she needed more treatment.

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Kelly had taken a four month leave of absence from the department when Lyssa had the surgery. How could he not? She had nursed him through God only knew how many things...sprains, strains, bruises, broken bones. But what he hadn't realized, was that while she was taking care of him, she was also taking care of everyone else too.

He thought he would go crazy...four kids on different schedules...some days he felt like he was being pulled in four different directions. And he didn't even think about how hard it was to keep up with the house, the laundry...how the hell did she do it?

Those four months had given him a new appreciation for his wife...that's for sure.

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"I figured as much..." Alyssa said. "Mouch is taking Lexi when he comes to get Maggie. He said he'll walk her around the museum while Maggie's at her class."

Last summer Mouch, a retired firefighter from 51 had found a program at the Chicago Children's Museum for Maggie...and he'd taken her every day for three weeks. She had loved it so much, that he signed up again. It was their special thing...and now Lexi was getting in on the act.

Kelly nodded...

That was another thing. Station 51 was like a family, whether you were on the job or not. And the kids were like everybody's kids. His...Hermann's...and Darden's, before he was killed. Their mom had taken them and moved to Florida years ago.

Severide hadn't thought of Ben and Griffin in years. Griffin was in his twenties now...Ben was probably right around twenty. He wondered what they were doing...did they go to college? Did they just go to work? Did they want to be firefighters?

Oh well...that was in the past.

He made a mental note to go by the cemetery to Darden's grave. He hadn't been there in a while.

But right now he could hear the twins moving around upstairs and he leaned down to give Lyssa a kiss before they were interrupted by the pitter-patter of little feet.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Unfortunately that kiss didn't last nearly long enough for Kelly's liking.

But thankfully Andy and Jesse made enough noise coming down the stairs for ten sets of twins...and they brought their sisters along ...so Mom and Dad weren't caught in a compromising position.

"To be continued..." Alyssa whispered to him.

"Definitely..." he answered with a wolfish grin.

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The kids came running into the kitchen.

"Guys..." Kelly said. "How many times do I have to tell you? Take it down a notch. That stampede just registered about a seven on the Richter Scale."

Andy and Jesse sighed in unison and flopped down into their chairs.

It was so hard to remember to be quiet...especially when they could smell breakfast cooking.

Maggie was trying to climb up into her booster chair and Kelly scooped her up to deposit her. Then he turned behind him and grabbed Lexi, who was hanging onto the leg of his jeans and plopped her in her highchair.

He went to the fridge and started pouring milk and orange juice into cups.

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Once everybody had everything they needed, Kelly sat down at the table and Alyssa set his coffee in front of him. Andy was piling sausage patties onto his plate and he lightly slapped his son's hand.

"Five other people need to eat too, Buddy."

"But Dad..." Andy protested. "I'm gonna be playing basketball for _six hours_. I need to load up on protein!"

He and Jesse 'hi-fived' one another. They had worked for an hour on that argument.

"You're gonna eat again in about three hours...I guarantee it." Kelly told him. "You don't have to pack it all in at once. Besides...if you're too full, you won't be able to play. You'll be sick."

But Andy had never been "too full" in his life. The firefighters down at Station 51...who had been known to pack it away...had been teasing the little boy about having a pet tapeworm for years.

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Kelly had just pulled into his driveway after running the boys over to the Y for their camp. As he opened the door another car in the rear view mirror caught his eye.

He got out to greet Randy McHolland...Mouch.

"Hey...how's it goin'?" he said, slapping the older man on the back.

Mouch had been retired about three years...after he suffered a near fatal heart attack on the job. He'd barely made it through the initial bout...but since he'd had quadruple by-pass surgery he looked fifteen years younger. He was eating better...getting regular exercise.

He still worked nights as a security guard...and lately days as almost a surrogate grandpa.

"Good..." Mouch replied. "It's all good."

"You sure you're up for takin' both girls?" Kelly asked.

"Piece 'a cake...Maggie goes to her thing...Lexi and I'll just hang out. She loves the water room..."

"I'll tell Lyssa to pack a change of clothes..." Kelly said.

"Good idea."

The two came in the back door.

Alyssa was still cleaning up from breakfast. As usual...there was more food on the floor around Maggie's seat than anywhere.

"Maybe that's why she's so tiny..." Mouch observed. "The food ends up on the floor instead of in her belly."

Lyssa stood up and dried her hands on a towel before coming around the table to hug Mouch...even though she'd just seen him yesterday.

"It's a good theory...unfortunately...it's in the genes." she said.

Alyssa was maybe five feet tall with her shoes on...so "tiny" most definitely ran in the family.

"Maggie...Lexi..." she called. "Uncle Mouch is here!"

There was the sound of scrambling...and little feet slapping on the hardwood floor.

Maggie came running through the door.

"Unca' Mouch!" she cried happily. "We gotta go! We don' wanna be late!"

"We've got plenty of time, Sweetie Pie..." Mouch told her gently. "Plenty of time."

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Lexi followed several steps behind.

"Mouse!" she said.

Kelly had to turn away to keep from laughing out loud.

Lexi couldn't make the "ch" sound...so she called Mouch "Mouse"...and when she said "Uncle" it came out sounding like "Yucky". So Uncle Mouch was...

"Yucky Mouse!"

Kelly bit the insides of his cheeks and quickly stepped out into the four seasons room where he tried to pull himself together.

It was just so damn cute.

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After Mouch had left with the girls Alyssa headed upstairs to shower and Kelly was right behind her. He closed the door to their room behind him and crossed the room in a couple of long strides to come up behind his wife as she had begun to straighten the covers on their queen size bed.

"To be continued..." he reminded her as he turned her into him.

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They had to shower fast if they were gonna make it down to Lakeshore by eleven...and traffic was a bear.

Severide parked the car in the garage a block away from the medical center and got out to open Lyssa's door. He held out his hand to her as they walked out onto Lake Shore Drive.

After a dozen years of marriage they still acted like newlyweds sometimes. They'd always been close...a touchy-feely kind of couple...but the last six months had brought them even closer together.

Maybe it had to do with that "new appreciation" thing...seeing how Lyssa knocked herself out to be everything to everyone. Maybe it was for the first time in a long, long time Kelly had seen her at her most vulnerable. Maybe there was a little bit of guilt in there...knowing that what had set the whole chain of events in motion was Alyssa taking care of _him_ for the better part of a year. But whatever figured into the mix...he just knew he missed her like crazy when he was on shift...and when he wasn't he couldn't stand to be more than two feet away from her.

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Alyssa was nervous as they waited for the doctor. She just wanted this whole thing to be over with. She was back to doing all the things she used to do...she still didn't have the strength in her right arm that she had in her left and her range of motion was decreased as well. But it had been that way for a long time...ever since a man named Bradley Paul had kicked in her apartment door and nearly beaten her to death.

The one good thing, they had finally removed the hardware from her upper arm while they were in there severing the extensive adhesions that had formed around the joint capsule.

She could see Kelly was anxious too. His right leg bounced nervously as he sat on the chair in front of her. He was so sweet...

Kelly felt his heart skip a beat when he saw the tender look in Lyssa's eyes.

He stopped fidgeting and stood up slowly. In about two short steps he was right in front of her holding both her hands in his.

"It's gonna be fine, Babe." he said. "It's gonna be okay."

"I know..." she whispered softly.

She looked deep into his blue eyes...and she could feel her heart filling up with love for this man who was her knight in shining armor, only that shining armor looked a lot like dirty old bunker gear. He was her rock, her protector...and her forever after.

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Dr. Leary knocked on the door before coming into the room.

Kelly took a step back as the doctor stepped up to shake Alyssa's hand...then turned to him.

"Good to see you, Kelly."

Severide returned the firm handshake.

"Hope you're gonna give us good news, Doc."

"What?" Dr. Leary asked in mock distress. "You don't want to come see me every month? How'll I know what's going on with the kids?"

Alyssa stifled her laughter.

The surgeon never failed to ask about the boys basketball...or Maggie...or where they were in the process of adopting Lexi. His interest in her as a person...in their family...rather than just her shoulder was one of the things that made her most comfortable.

"We'll send you an invitation to the party once the adoption goes through." Kelly told him.

"I'll hold you to that."

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Socializing over, he got down to business.

Kelly watched Alyssa's face as Dr. Leary stretched her arm and tested her range of motion. He had her hold her arms straight out in front of her and he tried to push them up, down, and to the side to check her strength. Then he had her put her arms out to the sides and did it again, comparing the left to the right.

Every once in a while she would wince or grimace in pain...and that felt like a punch in the gut.

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The doctor nodded in satisfaction.

"That's good Alyssa." he said. "Very good in fact."

"Do I need another round of PT?" she asked...silently praying the answer would be 'no'.

"I think we can cautiously say no..." Dr. Leary said.

Kelly let out the breath he hadn't even realized he had been holding.

"Just make sure to keep up with your home exercise program." the doctor continued.

"I'll make sure of it." Kelly said, a smile spreading across his face.

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They decided to grab lunch to celebrate. The boys were at camp till three...and Mouch had taken the girls over to the diner to see Mills and his mom. So they had a couple more hours to themselves.

The Billy Goat Tavern was still pretty packed, but they managed to get a little table way in the back corner.

Lyssa was distracted...and she just picked at her burger.

She had seen a girl...and for a minute she thought it was Veronica...the girl from the store yesterday. The long hair hanging around her face...effectively hiding her from the whole world.

"What's the matter, Babe?" Kelly asked. "I'da figured you'd be turning cartwheels..."

Alyssa raised her eyes from her food, and smiled.

"I was just thinkin' 'bout this girl who came in the store yesterday." she said. "There was something about her..."

"Like what?" he asked before he took a big bite of his bacon cheeseburger.

"She seemed anxious...like she was afraid of her own shadow." Lyssa said. "Even Maggie noticed somethin' wasn't right. She asked why the girl was so sad."

"Some people are just shy..." Kelly said with a shrug.

"It seemed like it was more than that. And she was wearing jeans and a long sleeve shirt...with the kinda' weather we've been having...I just about had a heatstroke lookin' at her."

"Maybe she's sick. Or maybe she's on somethin'."

There were any number of reasons a person might wear long sleeves in the middle of the summer.

"Maybe..." Alyssa conceded. "Maybe. "

Kelly wiped his mouth with a paper napkin.

"Well..." he said. "She'll prob'ly wander in again...maybe you'll get a better feel for it."

Alyssa picked up her hamburger.

"I'm sure you're right. You know me...a sucker for a lost soul." she told him.

Severide chuckled.

His wife had the biggest heart of anyone he'd ever met...and he was living proof.

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He strode into Station 51 ready for action. After he'd changed out of his street clothes and stowed his bag in his locker he headed to the briefing room for roll call.

Chief Boden was standing up front talking to a new guy.

This must be the new Candidate.

"Everyone..." Boden raised his voice to get their attention. "New Candidate joinin' us today. This is Trey Wilson. Graduated top of his class at the Academy. Make him feel welcome."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"Truck 81...Ambulance 61...Squad 3...6266 W. Sunnyside...Accident with injuries..."

Everyone headed out.

"Welcome to Station 51, Kid..." Hermann said as he passed Trey Wilson on his way to the Truck.

The new Candidate threw on his gear and hopped aboard.

"I want you to shadow Hermann..." Casey told Wilson as they sped to the scene.

"Yes, Sir..."

"You don't have to call me "Sir"..."

"Sorry...force of habit." Wilson said.

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They pulled up on the corner of Sunnyside and Merrimac...and found a twenty year old Dodge Charger half inside, half outside the house on the corner.

Severide jumped down from the squad.

The skid marks on the pavement told him the car had come down Merrimac...prob'ly slammed on the brakes...then jumped the curb. It tore through the corner of the house and had its back wheels up off the ground.

"Let's get somethin' to stabilize that car." he said to Mills and Capp as he went to get a closer look.

As he approached the car, teetering on the edge, he heard screams. Kelly picked up his step.

"Fire Department!' he called out. "We'll have you out in a minute!"

He circled the car...and saw an old man, unconscious, slumped over the wheel. The engine was still revving...the guy still had his foot on the accelerator.

The screams coming from inside the house got louder.

"Just hang tight!" he called out again.

"I can't move!" a boy's voice shouted. "We're trapped!"

"How many?" Kelly hollered.

"Two! Me and my girlfriend!" the voice yelled. "She's not moving!"

Severide looked around frantically for his team.

"Hey! Where're those stabilizers?!"

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Clarke came running up alongside Severide and Capp and Mills were right behind with the gear.

"We got it..." Clarke told him.

"Driver's out cold..." Kelly said. "And there's at least two inside. I'm goin' in."

He ran around to the front of the house and with one kick, he had the door open.

"Fire Department!" he screamed at the top of his lungs. "Call out!"

There was movement behind him, and he caught a glimpse of Hermann and the new guy.

Good. Reinforcements.

"Down here!" the voice called out. "In the basement!"

There was a door on the left...and Kelly hoped it was the right one.

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It was...

"Keep talkin'!" he called out.

"Here!" the kid cried. "Down here! Help us!"

The stairs wound around and the firefighters found themselves in a basement rec room. Dark wood paneling resurrected from the 1970's...ratty carpet...beat up sofa. And a state of the art entertainment system. Sixty two inch hi-def television, surround sound...

"Over here! Help us!"

There were two teens...if that...buried in a pile of rubble that Severide guessed was a combination of plasterboard, paneling , and the remains of yet another sofa.

The men jumped in...Wilson started moving debris from the edges inward while Kelly got down on the ground to see the situation.

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There was a boy...Jesus...he didn't look much older than Andy and Jesse. His eyes were wide with fear...probably more scared than hurt.

"Hey...what's your name, Buddy?" Kelly asked.

"Lucas..."

"Lucas, we'll have you outta there in a few minutes...just hang tight."

"My girlfriend's hurt...she'd not moving!"

"Okay...just stay calm." Kelly told him . "Let me see what's going on with her."

He tried to listen for breath sounds...but all he could hear was the roar of the car engine.

What the hell was taking so long out there?

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Then he saw the girl.

He grabbed his flashlight and angled the beam. She was young too...dark hair...pale. She had green eyes...staring at him.

They were too late to save her.

Severide moved the light a little more to the left and saw a chunk of plaster implanted in her head.

"What's your girlfriend's name, Lucas?"

"Gwendolyn..." Lucas answered.

His voice cracked in panic.

"She won't say anything. Is she gonna be okay?"

"I don't know yet. Let's get you outta here." Kelly told him.

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He poked his head out from the rubble.

"Let's get some cribbing down here to shore up this mess."

"Got it..." Hermann said. "Wilson..."

"No, leave him here." Kelly said. "We gotta keep movin' this stuff."

He reached down and started to help Wilson heave chunks of wood and plaster out of the way.

Hermann hesitated for just a fraction of a second. He was in charge of the Candidate.

But Severide was runnin' the show down there.

Hermann trooped back up the stairs to grab a couple extra men and get the cribbing.

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Severide and Wilson worked side by side moving pieces of the wreckage until they had a clear path to Lucas.

Wilson tossed the last hunk of plaster to the side and knelt down beside the boy.

"Hey, man...my name's Trey." he said in a reassuring voice. "Can you tell me if you hurt anywhere?

"My leg...and my chest hurts." the boy said. "Here..."

Wilson's hand went to the spot.

"Ahhh!" Lucas cried out.

"Sorry...you might have cracked a rib..." he told him. "We'll have you out in another minute."

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Outside, Mills, Clarke and Capp had the vehicle stabilized...that thing wasn't goin' anywhere. And Clarke had pried open the driver's side door and cut the engine. He wiggled between the door and the car frame to get a collar on the old man.

"Huh?" the man asked. "What happened?"

"You were in an accident, Sir." Clarke said. "Try to stay still."

"I have to get home..." the man said. "My wife's waiting for me..."

"We'll have someone call her."

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Hermann hurried back down with Otis and Cruz and the cribbing. Shay and Dawson were right behind them.

"What have we got?" Dawson asked.

Before Severide could answer, Wilson said.

"Lower extremity fracture...blunt chest trauma. Alert and oriented times three..."

The paramedics moved in to take over assessing Lucas.

Shay whispered reassuringly as she fitted the boy with a collar...Dawson was busy splinting his left leg.

Kelly and Wilson helped the ladies slide Lucas onto the backboard.

"What about Gwendolyn?" Lucas asked in a panic. "Is she okay?"

"It's gonna take us a little more time to get to her." Kelly said.

"Yeah..." Trey added. "We had to get you out first...so we're able to get to your girlfriend."

The boy seemed to accept their explanation. He'd find out the truth soon enough.

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As soon as the medics had taken Lucas out, the men got to work on the recovery effort.

It was one of those things...and Kelly just had to turn his brain off and let his body function on auto-pilot. A boy and a girl, alone in the house...gone down to the basement to make out and whatever.

He didn't want to think about the day when his daughters started bringing boys home.

As they were wrapping things up, Kelly passed Wilson on the lawn...or what was left of it. He clasped one hand down on the younger man's shoulder.

"Hey...Good job in there."

"Thank-you, Sir."

"It's just plain 'Severide'..." Kelly told him.

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It had been about a week since Alyssa had been in the store.

With four kids there was always something. Lexi and Maggie had swimming lessons twice a week...the boys had camp every day...not to mention baseball practice.

And it was time to sign them up for football again.

She didn't want them to play again...especially Jesse...but the boys wanted to, and Kelly was all for it.

"Lyssa...it's part of growing up." he said. "When you play sports, sometimes you get hurt."

"Not like that." she protested. "It's not the same as a sprained ankle or whatever."

"I got my bell rung pretty good a couple times...and sprained ankles...and broke my wrist..."

"You're not exactly inspiring confidence here, Severide." Alyssa grumbled.

But Kelly took her in his arms.

"All I'm saying...is I got hurt playing football as a kid...baseball...basketball...whatever. And any other guy'll prob'ly tell the same story. You can't wrap Jesse up in cotton. You gotta let him be a boy."

"If I had a dollar for every time I wanted to wrap _you_ up in cotton..."

"I could retire and we'd be set for life." he said with a sigh.

But both of them knew that wasn't about to happen any time soon.

Kelly Severide would be a firefighter until he absolutely couldn't anymore.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

It was another week before Veronica wandered into Helping hands again.

This time Alyssa was alone with Lexi...who was happily playing in the port-a-crib. She was singing to herself as she turned the Fisher Price figure of Belle over and over in her chubby little hands. Then she tried to stuff it into the pink fire truck Kelly had just bought her.

God only knew where he'd found such a thing...but Lexi squealed with delight...and it was her new favorite toy.

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Lyssa smiled at her.

They were in the process of adopting Lexi. It was silly in a way...they'd had her just over a year now as foster parents...and they still had to go through all the steps of the process. The interviews, the home visits, the psychological testing, parenting workshops.

Kelly had grumbled at that...they already had three kids...and they had to go to parenting class?

But whatever it took.

Hopefully, if the stars aligned correctly, they'd make Lexi's birthday a double celebration.

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The bells above the door jingled and Lyssa looked up to see Veronica slip inside.

It was almost like she tried to sneak in...she barely opened the door...and Alyssa could have sworn she cringed when she heard the bells.

She stuck to the outside again...looking at the items displayed on the shelves...once in a while she'd pick something up to look at the price.

She picked up some dish towels, and a square baking pan.

Then she moved over to a shelf of books, and carefully read each title. She took one off the shelf and glanced around her before she flipped it open to read the synopsis on the inside of the dust jacket. When she finished she closed the book and she was about to put it back...but then she added it to her pile.

She laid her purchases on the counter.

Alyssa smiled.

"Hi...it's Veronica...right?" she asked.

The girl nodded.

"Yes..." she whispered, raising her eyes just slightly.

"That's a good book." Lyssa said. "I hope you'll enjoy it. I did."

Veronica raised her head a little more. She looked like she was about to say something...until...her eyes fell on the necklace Alyssa wore.

Actually it was just a bunch of charms on a silver chain. One was the Maltese Cross that was the symbol of the fire department. Another was a little silver helmet, and yet another of a tiny fire engine. And finally there was a silver Holy medal with St. Florian, the patron saint of firefighters with the words 'Pray for Us'.

Lyssa noticed where Veronica's attention was...and she put her hand up to the little fire helmet.

"My husband's a firefighter." she said.

A strange expression crossed the girl's face and Alyssa was trying to interpret it. She was even more puzzled when she backed away from the counter.

"I think I forgot my money." Veronica mumbled. "I gotta get home..."

And she all but ran out the door, jingling the bells loudly.

Lexi stopped her singing and looked up.

"I know..." Lyssa said to the baby. "That was strange."

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Kelly got into bed beside his wife and immediately noticed the troubled look on her face.

He held out his arms to her and she settled into that sweet spot, laying her head against his chest.

And he tangled his fingers in her long, brown hair.

"What's 'a matter, Babe?" he asked.

He knew she'd never relax till she got whatever was bothering her off her chest. And he wanted...no..._needed_ her to relax. So _he_ could relax...

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It had been a helluva shift the day before.

There was all kinds of drama about the call over on Sunnyside and Merrimack. It turned out he'd been wrong when he interpreted the skid marks at the scene. It turned out they were acceleration marks...the ninety-two year old man at the wheel had mixed up the gas and the brake. And when he'd seen the stop sign at the corner he had floored the accelerator and lost control of his car.

Everybody and his brother was writing letters to the editor...calling in to talk radio...every time the story came up. Somebody should have taken that man's license. What about all the cases you hear about with old people getting confused...the man was a danger to society. Everybody, it seemed, had an opinion.

Well, not anymore. He wouldn't be getting behind the wheel again.

But that was little consolation for Gwendolyn and her family.

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And of course, there were more calls...fires...made worse by the brutal heat and the lack of rain.

There was a group of kids who decided to have a camp fire in a forest preserve. That was a near disaster. A barbeque grill flamed up and ignited the wooden stairs in the back of a three flat on Warner. It was a real trick to get the hose lines back to the seat of the fire.

The team had been out all night picking apart an six car pileup on Lakeshore Drive. It was a little out of their area...but they needed a squad...and 5 was already on a call.

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"What's botherin' you, Lyssa?" he asked again.

Alyssa sighed.

"That girl came in the store again yesterday. Veronica." she said. "There's somethin' wrong there. She looked like she'd jump out of her skin if you so much as said 'hello' to her. And then she freaked out and ran out the door...just left her stuff right on the counter."

"She say anything?"

"She said she forgot her money..."

"Maybe she did."

He leaned in to kiss her.

Enough talking.

"She was reacting to my necklace." Lyssa told him.

Kelly sighed and lay back.

He knew which necklace she was talking about.

After his injury...when he got the okay to go back on duty...she had bought him a St. Florian medal on a silver chain. And she'd gotten one for herself. She added hers to the little grouping of charms...the ones he'd bought for the boys to give her on her first Mother's Day...and the Maltese Cross he had given her when he'd had his sixteenth anniversary with the department the fall after they'd gotten married.

"When I said my husband was a firefighter, she turned white as a sheet...and she ran out the door."

He turned back to her, gently pushing her hair back over her shoulder.

"No use worrying 'bout it tonight. " he said. "There's nothing you can do now."

And before she could say another word...he kissed her...long and passionate.

When they came up for air, the conversation from just a few minutes ago was forgotten.

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"How's the new Candidate doin'?" Severide asked Casey when they came on shift.

The two lieutenants were in the locker room, getting changed out of their street clothes.

"He's doin' good. Good skills...does whatever you tell him to."

"Seems like it's workin' out." Severide agreed.

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He hadn't really worked closely with Trey Wilson since the Sunnyside call, but he'd seen him working around the firehouse. And unlike some candidates they'd had in the past, Kelly never heard him bitching about having to do the grunt work...like rolling hose...or scrubbing the john.

He thought back to his own days as a Candidate. Station 51 had had three that year...him, Casey...and Andy Darden.

It was good to have a buddy or two to go through that with. Some of the older guys could be brutal on the rookies. But that usually stopped once you showed you had what it takes.

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"Engine 51...Truck 81...Ambulance 61...Squad 3...Traffic accident.

It had finally...finally...rained. For the first time all month, the sky opened up...and just dumped everything it had on the city. It had been coming down hard and steady since about five that morning. There was standing water in some low lying areas. It made getting from place to place interesting.

The wiper blades slapped furiously across the windshield of the squad. The rain was coming down in sheets.

"Jesus..." Capp said. "Is somebody building an ark?"

"Did they say anything more than 'traffic accident'?" Mills asked.

Kelly had been listening to the radio...hoping to get more details...but nothing so far.

They pulled up to find a car crashed into the support of a viaduct...and a big-ass Range Rover had crashed into that...crumpling the compact like an accordion.

The driver of the Rover was out of the car...banging on the window of the compact. Kelly ran over to him, slogging through about two and a half feet of water.

He grabbed the younger man by the shoulders and directed him toward the ambulance.

"I'm fine!" the guy yelled.

He tried to get around Severide and get back over to the car.

The guy was shaking...he was soaked to the skin, so you couldn't tell if he was sweating...but his pupils were pinpoints.

Definitely on somethin'...

"Let us handle it!" Kelly told him...shoving the guy toward the ambo again.

He turned back to the task at hand...how to extract the victim from the wreck.

There was a primal sounding scream...or something...behind him and he whipped around to see the Rover guy charging at him. Kelly braced himself, but the moment before the guy crashed into him...Wilson came outta nowhere and took him down.

They came up and Wilson had Rover in a basket hold. And Casey and Cruz came running to lend a hand.

Severide took a deep breath and turned back to the car.

There'd be plenty of time for thank-you's once they got back to the firehouse.

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The men climbed off the rigs...leaving puddles where ever they stepped. They shed their wet gear and headed for the locker room.

After they had showered and cleaned up, Mills went to start making dinner.

"You need any help?" Wilson asked.

"No, thanks...I got it..." Mills answered.

Wilson nodded and turned on his heel...a perfect 'about-face'.

He passed Severide as he was on his way out to the apparatus room.

"Hey..." Kelly said as he reached out to grab Wilson by the arm. "Thanks the assist out there. You're pretty fast on your feet."

"No problem..." the Candidate replied with a grin. "That guy was jacked up on somethin'..."

"Yeah...but thanks just the same."

Wilson nodded...then excused himself to go see to the clean-up tasks they had to do after a call.

Kelly watched him as he walked away, and he thought to himself that Trey Wilson had the makings of a good firefighter. Maybe even a great one.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Kelly came down the stairs two at a time.

He could hear Lexi hollering in the living room.

"Mine!" the little girl said. "Mine fi-tuck!"

"I just wanna see it..." Andy told her. "I'll give it back!"

"No! Mine fi-tuck!" she said again...this time with more of whatever passed for venom in an almost two year olds' voice.

"Lexi..."

"Hey!" Kelly said as he stepped into the room.

The arguing stopped...and he looked down at his oldest and his youngest who both had their hands on the pink fire truck.

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Kelly crossed his arms over his chest...and before he even said a word Lexi pulled the toy away from Andy.

"Mine!" she said with satisfaction.

Andy tried to plead his case.

"Dad!" he protested. "I just wanted to look at it!"

Again, Lexi was right on the ball. This time she came back with one of Alyssa's favorite phrases.

"Yook wif eyes!" she told her brother. "No wif hands!"

Kelly smirked and chuckled to himself.

"Dad!"

"No '_Dad_'..." Kelly said. "Seriously, Andy? You're gonna be twelve...she's gonna be two."

Andy hung his head.

"C'mon..." Kelly told him. "It's time to get lunch ready...then we gotta work on your camp list."

The twins were going to a week-long basketball camp at Northwestern University. It would be their first time away from home...and there was a two page list of stuff they needed to take.

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Andy got to his feet and trudged off toward the kitchen.

He didn't like getting called on the carpet.

Kelly looked down at Lexi...happily running her fire truck across the floor.

"C'mon, Sweet Girl...you too."

He cocked his head in the direction Andy had just gone.

The almost two year old popped up onto her feet...then picked up her toy...and scampered off after her big brother.

"Num-nums!" she cried happily.

Kelly chuckled again as he headed to the kitchen.

Never a dull moment...

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In a little apartment about four blocks from Station 51, Veronica was racing against the clock. She had gotten wrapped up in something stupid and she was almost ten minutes behind schedule. _He_ would be home soon from the gym and if his lunch wasn't on the table, there'd be hell to pay.

It was hard to think how she'd gotten here. Three years ago she was a new college grad working as an administrative assistant to a junior associate at a big law firm downtown. That wasn't what she really wanted to do with her life, someday she wanted to write a novel and hopefully get it published. Someday she'd be a best-selling author.

But until that day...she had to pay the bills. And this job was better than most. Her boss was a young guy...married two years...and a new dad to the most beautiful baby girl. He was nice, he praised her work...he even asked her opinions on wording certain letters and documents. Sometimes he asked her to do some online research for him.

The point was, he always asked.

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Then _he_ walked in.

_He_ was the single most handsome man she had ever seen. He had broad shoulders, a toned chest and torso, bulging biceps, and the bluest eyes she'd ever seen in her life. They were in total contrast with the jet black hair.

He was working for FedEx as a delivery person...and the law office was on his regular route. Almost immediately she felt his eyes upon her, almost like he was willing her to meet his stare. It was the most compelling feeling she could remember in a long time.

They just stared at one another for about two weeks...then one day...a Tuesday...he walked up to her desk and introduced himself.

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She glanced up at the clock.

She had to stop daydreaming. She had to make his sandwich.

Fortunately, he did the grocery shopping now so she didn't have to agonize over whether she was buying the right thing...was the meat sliced the way he liked it...was the cheese thin enough. That had been a nightmare...and she could never do it right.

He always said 'if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself'.

Sandwich.

Three slices of ham, one slice of Swiss cheese. Half a teaspoon of mayo, half a teaspoon of Honey mustard.

She had to remember to wash the measuring spoon in between. If even a little bit of mustard got in with the mayo, or vice versa, he'd throw both jars out. And then he'd go on and on about how she wasted his hard earned money with her carelessness.

Make sure the bread is lined up perfectly, don't just slap it on in a hurry. And cut on a diagonal. Make sure to cut clean and cut all the way through. No jagged edges. It the bread is torn in the corners...he'll throw it away and she'll have to start all over...with _him_ watching to make sure she doesn't mess it up again.

Put the sandwich in the exact center of the plate and set the plate in the exact center of the placemat. On the salad plate...six cucumber slices, each 1/4" thick, six cherry tomatoes, six baby carrots and exactly two tablespoons of low fat Ranch dressing. And finally in the small bowl, twelve pretzels.

Veronica looked up at the clock one more time, then down at the table. She straightened the placemat so it was lined up one inch from the end of the table and the napkin was folded exactly in half.

Everything was perfect.

And not a moment too soon.

She heard the key in the lock...and turned around to see Trey come in the front door.

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Kelly closed the door behind him.

What a day...he thought.

What a night.

After dinner he persuaded Lyssa to leave the dishes for an hour or two and they took advantage of the breeze blowing in, giving them some relief from the stifling summer heat. They strapped the girls in the double stroller and the boys pulled out their bikes...and the family walked over to the park.

He and Alyssa pushed Maggie and Lexi on the swings...both of them laughing as Maggie begged to go higher.

Lexi didn't know that word...but she had her own way of letting him know what she wasted.

"Uppy, Daddy!" she cried happily. "Uppy! Uppy! Uppy!"

And he couldn't help but laugh himself as he gave her another "under-dog".

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After they herded the kids back to the house he put the two little girls in the bath tub, and pretty soon he was wetter than both of them.

"Hey!" he said with a big smile on his face. "C'mon...I left all my gear at the firehouse!"

His bunker jacket would have been a big help right about now.

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Once the girls were tucked in...and they were out before their heads hit the pillow, at least in Maggie's case.

Nothin' like a little fresh air...he thought to himself as he went downstairs to get the boys.

Andy and Jesse were a little more difficult to settle down...but once they got their showers and hit the sack, Kelly closed the door to their room and headed down the hall.

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Lyssa looked up from her book as he closed their door behind him.

Pulling off his t-shirt in one fluid movement he made his way to the bed. He dropped the shirt over the footboard and slipped out of his shoes as he crawled toward his wife.

He started to take the book from her hands as she hurried to fold the corner of the page she was on.

Kelly glanced at the cover before he set it on the nightstand.

"Haven't you read that one like...nine million times?" he asked.

Unless he was reading to the kids, you couldn't pay him to read a book more than once. You probably couldn't pay him to read a book at all.

"Veronica was looking at it in the store the last time she was in...before she ran outta there. I thought I'd pick it up again."

"You think you'll ever see her again?"

Lyssa shrugged. It really bothered her that the girl hadn't been around in a week.

"I hope so, Honey. I hope she gets past whatever upset her." she said with a sigh. "I just know something's not right with her. I wish she'd let me know what it is. Maybe I could help."

Kelly wrapped his arms around her and laid down close beside her. He felt her arms slide around him as he settled against her chest.

Lyssa had the biggest heart of anyone he knew...he always said that. But it was the God's honest truth. He knew she was making herself crazy over this girl. And he knew she wouldn't stop till she got to the bottom of whatever the problem was.

But that was something that could wait till another day.

Right now he had something else in mind. Something to cap off the perfect day they'd had.

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Veronica had to get up at four-thirty in the morning.

Trey liked a hearty breakfast before he left for the firehouse and one of the things he had to have was fresh squeezed orange juice...squeezed by hand...not by some machine.

Some days, when she was at her lowest, she thought she'd never be able to please hm. Nothing she did was ever good enough, and when she thought back to her old life...before him...she wondered how the hell she had managed to fool everybody.

Before Trey came into her life, she used all kinds of smoke and mirrors to hide her true self. That's how he referred to the skirts and slacks and jackets she wore to work at the law office. She hid behind a mask of make-up and blonde highlights in her mousy brown hair. She wore heels to give the illusion of confident posture.

But he had freed her from all that. She didn't need to impress others...only him.

He was the most intense person she had ever met. From the very first moment their eyes had met, he had a _hold_ of her...he owned her.

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She had his breakfast on the table when he emerged from the bedroom.

One cup of oatmeal, with one half teaspoon of brown sugar, one quarter teaspoon of cinnamon...and twenty four raisins. Not twenty three...not twenty five...twenty four raisins.

The orange juice, two slices of multi-grain toast and a bowl of fresh berries. Six strawberries, cut in quarters, six raspberries, six blackberries, and a dozen blueberries. Each one had to be carefully inspected to make sure it was perfect, no soft spots, no rotten spots. He was going to be putting his _life_ on the line for the next twenty four hours, he told her...and she'd _dare_ try and serve him rotten fruit?

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He sat down at the table and she shrunk back into the corner of the kitchen.

"Well...sit down." he told her.

Swallowing hard, Veronica inched back over to the table and silently pulled out a chair. She slowly sank down, perching herself half on, half off the seat, ready to spring up if he wanted something.

She watched him eat, chewing his food in his usual, methodical way...and she worked up her courage to ask a question.

"Can I have some money?"

He looked up, his blue eyes piercing hers.

"I gave you money three days ago. What the hell did ya do with it?"

"I...found a little shop...they have some cute things for the apartment...and it's not expensive at all!"

She didn't dare tell him it was a resale shop. He'd be furious if he knew she brought someone's old garbage into his home.

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Trey sighed...and reached into his pocket for his billfold. He slowly removed a five dollar bill...and he looked like he was contemplating shoving it back into the wallet.

But he threw it at her across the table.

"You think I'm made of money?" He demanded. "While you're sitting around on your lazy ass I'm out there sweatin' for every dollar."

She almost said if he'd let her get a job he wouldn't have to work so hard. But they'd had that argument before. What kind of work did she think she could do? She had no personality...she didn't know anything about real life. She lived in a fantasy world.

That was what he called her books...a fantasy world. But they weren't all fantasy. She read everything she could get her hands on, before she met him. Before he got rid of them.

He asked her to move in with him two weeks after they met...and when she started to pack her things he told her there was no room in his one bedroom apartment for her hundreds of books.

They fit just fine in her one bedroom...but she suggested they get a bigger place...a two bedroom. She was working...she made good money.

She made more than he did.

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That was another problem, he said.

He didn't like the way her boss looked at her. Couldn't she feel him undressing her with his eyes? When she argued that it wasn't true...her boss was happily married...he loved his wife and their baby girl.

Trey had laughed...a dark, humorless laugh.

She was naive, he said. She was just a piece of meat to a man like that...another notch on his belt. Once he'd had his way with her, he'd find some reason to fire her. _That_ was the way those kind of men operated. He'd seen it hundreds..._thousands_...of times.

He wiped the corners of his mouth with his napkin and crumpled it into a ball before he threw it into his oatmeal bowl.

He'd lost his appetite again. Like he always did when they argued.

Shoving back his chair, he stood up and stalked over to the couch where his bag was waiting for him. He grabbed it, swung the strap over his shoulder...yanked the door open and slammed it behind him.

Veronica could hear his feet stomping down the stairs of the third story walk-up. When she heard the door downstairs slam, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.

She was alone for the next twenty four hours.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"Engine 51...Truck 81...Ambulance 61...Squad 3...Structure fire 7205 West Grace..."

Severide and Casey jumped down from the rigs to confer with Chief Boden.

The building in front of them looked like it had been two buildings at one time...but somebody joined 'em together. Those kind of jobs usually played with the architecture...and created all kinds of little nooks and crannies and dead ends and blind spots. It might be charming to a home owner or a tenant...but it was a nightmare for a firefighter.

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The men could see flames shooting out of several windows on the first two levels...

"Do we know how many apartments?" Severide asked.

"At least sixteen..." Boden answered. "The fire's in the basement...that it's already up to two means the entire building's at risk."

"We gonna get any help?" Casey wanted to know.

Engine could get the water started...but sixteen apartments, and possibly victims in the basement...that was a lot of real estate for ten firefighters to cover.

"Second in company's Station 74." Boden said.

Kelly looked up at the black smoke rolling from the building...the tongues of flame licking hungrily at everything in its path. No way in hell was 74 gonna get there in time to do a damn bit of good.

"All right..." he said. "You guys go in the front. We'll take the back."

He and Casey went to round up their respective companies in order to divide and conquer.

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"All right..." Casey said to his men. "Hermann and Otis, pair up. Take the apartments on the east side. Wilson...stay with me...we'll take the west."

They all geared up...fixed their masks in position...and disappeared into the thick, black smoke.

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Severide led Squad 3 around the back of the structure.

"Clarke and Mills go left...Capp, you and me are goin' right."

He said a quick prayer as he pulled on his mask that they weren't too late.

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Around the front of the building a woman came stumbling and staggering out the door, gasping for air, choking on the smoke.

She practically fell into Boden's arms.

"My baby!" she gasped. "I couldn't find him!"

"What apartment!"

"Apartment 3A...In the front on the left!" she cried.

"Which room!" Boden wanted to know.

"The back bedroom! He was on the bed..."

Chief grabbed his radio.

"Casey...check the back bedroom of Apartment 3A! We've got a baby in there!"

Inside the inferno every sense Casey had went into overdrive.

"C'mon..." he said to Wilson as he took the lead.

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In the back of the building Squad had cleared the first floor and moved up to the second.

Severide kicked open the first door on the right.

"Fire Department!" he hollered. "Call out!"

"Help! Help us!" a little voice cried.

Kelly got low and made his way toward the voice.

"Keep calling!"

The smoke was so thick he could barely see an inch in front of him.

"Help! Mommy!" the voice cried again. "Wake up!"

Severide kept moving forward till he came to a woman down in the hallway. Two little kids...a girl about Maggie's age and a boy about Lexi's were shaking her.

"Capp! Take the mom!" he shouted.

And her grabbed both kids, one in each arm and ran for the door.

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Casey and Wilson moved through Apartment 3A, straining to hear any sound...any indication of where the baby was. They felt their way along the corridor, bypassing the doors on the left and right of the hall for the moment. They'd get back there if they struck out in the bedroom.

They came to a closed door and Casey checked it for heat.

Good to go...so he flung it open.

"Go left!" he told Wilson. "I'll go right!"

Normally he would never split up from a rookie. Normally he told them to stick so close that they'd hit him in the ass if he stopped moving. But this was a desperate situation...and Wilson was the best Candidate they'd had at Station 51 in years.

"Roger that!" Wilson replied, and he felt his way along the wall.

He came up empty...but something made him check again.

He got down on his knees beside the bed and thrust his hands out in front of him. He swept them back and forth across the plush carpeting...and on the backward motion he felt something.

His right hand closed around a tiny foot...and he pulled the little baby from between the bed and the wall.

How the hell did he get in there?

No time to think...he grabbed the child and pulled it into his arms.

" I got it, Lieutenant!" he called to Casey.

And he made his way back to the door.

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Kelly burst through the smoke with the two children and found himself in an open courtyard. Capp was right on his six with the mother.

As they rushed over to the triage area Severide could hear the sirens of the approaching second in company.

About damn time...he thought as he passed the children off to Shay.

He didn't even have time to gulp some water...he put his mast back on and went back in.

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Wilson made it out of the apartment, but the fire was moving fast...and the front stairs were impassable. The fire was on two and tearing up the cheap carpet almost to the landing.

He looked behind him. He could try to find a back staircase...there had to be one...but he couldn't take the time. He ran up the stairs...away from the fire...toward the roof.

"Stairway's blocked!" he called out over the radio. "I'm going up!"

There had to be Engine men up there venting...so there had to be a ladder.

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The sunlight was blinding as he shoved through the door out onto the roof.

Wilson pulled his mask off and looked down at the lifeless child in his arms. It was a little boy...prob'ly about six months old wearing a soot stained t-shirt and a Pamper. He dropped to his knees and brought the baby up to his mouth. He covered the nose and mouth with his own and forced air into the tiny lungs.

Casey came out the door about three seconds behind his Candidate and saw what Wilson was doing. There was nothing he could do except watch...and pray.

It seemed like time stood still...Wilson kept breathing for the baby...and just when Casey was about to tell him to stop...it was too late...they heard a weak little cry.

Wilson sprung to his feet and hustled over to the aerial. Cradling the now screaming infant against his body he swung one leg over the side, grabbed a foot hold, then his free hand. He took a split second to position his body before he started backing down the ladder.

Dawson had run to meet him and she took the baby in her arms and made for the ambo.

Wilson finally had a moment to catch his own breath.

Lieutenant Casey stepped off the ladder and clasped on hand firmly on the Candidate's shoulder.

"Good job." he said. "You saved that kid..."

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Squad 3 had regrouped on four...and things were getting desperate. They were running out of time, and they still had four apartments to search.

Besides the family on two, Clarke and Mills had found an teenage girl and two little boys in a closet on three...and Severide and Capp wrestled with a middle aged man who was stuffing his coin collection into pillowcases.

They had lost a minute changing out their tanks...and now they had to kick it in high gear.

Clarke and Mills went left and Severide and Capp went right.

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The first apartment was empty...but the second...there was a young woman, maybe in her twenties trying to pull an old woman out of a wheelchair.

"Nana!" she cried. "Come on! The building's on fire!"

"No...no...no..." the old woman replied deliriously. "My stories are on...I want to watch my stories..."

"Nana!"

Kelly came up behind her.

"I'll get her..." he hollered. "Go with him!"

He passed the nearly hysterical woman off to Capp, and turned to the old lady.

"Don't touch me!" she yelled when he went to lift her out of the chair. "Don't you touch me! I'll call the police!"

She was held in the chair with some kind of belt and Severide groped for his knife.

"Stop!" the woman screamed as he sawed through the heavy canvas strap. "Stop! Rape! Rape!"

Oh God...he thought. He wanted to tell her to shut up...but he wasn't about to waste his breath.

He scooped her into his arms and tightened his grip to contain the old woman's flailing limbs.

Just his luck he had to get the demented one...

Out in the hall he and Capp met the same problem Wilson and Casey had on three. The flames were roaring up the stairs, making them impassable.

They had no choice but to go up.

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Men venting the roof ran to help the two Squad men, and Severide was only too happy to hand the screaming, squalling, squawking woman off to another firefighter.

She immediately stopped screaming...and started thanking the nice young man for rescuing her from that horrible person who was trying to rape her.

Kelly pulled off his mask and took a couple deep breaths before he followed the other firefighters to the ladder. The sooner he had his feet on terra firma the happier he'd be.

He went over to the Squad to grab a bottle of water.

The Truck guys were crowded around Wilson, slapping him on the back...congratulating him.

The rookie must've done something good...he thought.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

A huge donation had just come into the store...the remnants of an Estate Sale in Kenilworth. All of it had to be cataloged, priced, and they had to get items onto the shelves. This could mean a lot of business...so Alyssa wanted to display some of the pieces right in the front window.

She had a team of volunteers working today. Mrs. Abernathy from the school, Mrs. Peirce from the rectory...and four recent graduates of St. Pasqual's. The girls giggled as they worked. They were all excited about starting high school in a couple of weeks and they compared the stories they'd heard about the teachers...the girls...what clubs to join.

And of course they giggled about boys.

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The bell over the door rang and she looked up to see Veronica slip inside...like she didn't want to be noticed.

When the girl saw all the people working in the shop, she turned around, ready to make a quick getaway.

"Veronica..." Alyssa said with a smile as she approached the younger woman. "It's good to see you."

"It looks like you're real busy...I don't want to bother you..." she stammered.

"Don't be silly...we're just putting out some new items."

"I don't want to bother you..." Veronica said again.

This time she started backing toward the door.

Alyssa made a split-second decision. She couldn't let this girl run off again.

"Actually..." she said. "I could really use a break."

She called back over her shoulder to Mrs. Abernathy.

"Celia? I'm gonna step out for a few little while. Can you hold down the fort?""

"Sure...it's no problem." the woman answered.

Lyssa smiled.

"Thank-you...

Then she turned back to Veronica.

"Do you have time for a cup of coffee?" she asked. "There's a really good shop a few doors down."

"Oh...no...I should...really...really get home."

"C'mon..." Alyssa chided gently. "You wouldn't make me drink alone...would you?"

Her eyes twinkled and Veronica couldn't help but to give her a little smile.

"Okay...just for a little while."

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As they walked out the door she double checked to make sure she'd remembered to forward the home phone to her cell.

Trey called every half hour or so if he wasn't out on a call...and he got upset if she didn't answer by the second ring.

The two walked down the block to the newly remolded Joe's.

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Two years before the new shop in the neighborhood had gone up in flames. A former firefighter named Darren Chesnick had come totally unhinged and went on an arson spree. He started working with these young Italian kids...'Nicco Suave' and his crew...a bunch of imbeciles who thought they were the modern day Corleone's. But a few months in, he just went off the reservation and ended up killing eleven people...and injuring dozens of others...including Kelly.

But the owner of the coffee shop decided to reopen...and he set up a fund where a percentage of the profits went to help the people who were injured in the fire. Over the past year he'd held maybe a dozen fund-raising events...poetry readings, book signings, acoustic music performances...all geared toward getting butts in the seats and money in the till to help a worthy cause.

Kelly and Alyssa had gone to a few...even though it was hard for them to relive that horrible time in their lives. But they told each other that they were lucky to still have each other and that they'd made it to the other side. And they couldn't let Darren Chesnick have any more power over them.

Still...after those events...they went home, climbed into their bed and held each other all night long.

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Lyssa held open the door so Veronica could walk inside.

Again, at the sight of the crowd, the girl looked like she might bolt...but she ordered a small coffee and a cookie...and started to pull a five out of her pocket.

"Don't worry..." Lyssa said. "My treat."

"No...I couldn't..." Veronica protested.

"It's fine..."

Alyssa paid for her smoothie and a croissant as well as Veronica's things and the two women took a small booth in the corner.

"This is nice..." Lyssa told her. "At least we won't have to yell across the table."

Veronica just smiled uneasily.

"Do you live far from here?" Lyssa asked.

"About five blocks away..." Veronica replied, so softly it _was _hard to hear.

There was an awkward silence...and then Alyssa looked up from her croissant to find the younger woman fixated on her necklace again.

Alyssa put her hand up to the Holy medal.

"They're just some little charms..." she said. "My husband bought the helmet and truck for my first Mother's Day...our twins were about five months old."

Then she separated the Maltese Cross from the others.

"He gave me this one a few months after we got married...when he had his sixteenth anniversary with the department. He told me all the firefighter's wives had to have one."

"He sounds really sweet..." Veronica said, with just a hint of sadness in her voice.

Trey would prob'ly never marry her...and he'd never take her anywhere where other people would see her.

He was ashamed of her. He didn't have to say it out loud...she knew it was true.

"He is." Lyssa said. "He's the most wonderful husband I could ask for."

"Don't you ever get scared he'll get hurt?"

That was her biggest fear...that something might happen to Trey...and then where would she be? How would she live without him?

"Oh...Kelly's been hurt plenty of times. We almost lost him a couple years ago. That was..."

She shuddered at the memory.

"How do you deal with something like that?"

Alyssa took a deep breath...and let it out slowly.

She'd hoped to get to talk to the girl...get to know _her_...but instead she was on the receiving end of some tough questions.

But given Veronica's reaction and fascination with the necklace...maybe she had some tie to the department herself...

"By leaning on everybody." she said. "The Fire Department's one big family...and the men and women Kelly works with have been there for us time and time again. They helped with our kids...cooking...house stuff...so all I had to focus on was taking care of him. And it's not just the firefighters...when I had surgery on my shoulder last winter...they were all right there again."

Again...not something that was likely to happen for her...Veronica thought to herself. The men Trey worked with prob'ly didn't know she existed.

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"Enough about me..." Alyssa said. "Tell me about you..."

"Oh there's nothing to tell. I'm a really boring person."

"Do you work?"

She always came around the store in the middle of the day...but that didn't mean she didn't work later. A second or third shift perhaps.

But Veronica shook her head.

"I'm...between jobs right now."

That sounded better. Better than the truth.

"I'd offer to hire you...but we're totally volunteer...I'd have to pay you in Holy cards." Lyssa said.

She was hoping that might get a little smile...

Oh...there it was.

"Do you live alone?" she asked.

Veronica looked down...and to the side.

"No...I live with my boyfriend." she said...again so softy she could barely be heard.

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Back at Station 51, the firefighters climbed down from the rigs like ninety year old men.

That building fire was a full blown disaster. Seventeen apartments...a laundry...a storage room...all gone up in flames.

The good news, was no one was badly injured. And Station 51 had rescued over a dozen people.

That had to be one for the books.

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As the men shed their gear and trudged off to the locker room Severide heard a few bits and pieces about the rookie's first save.

That's something no firefighter ever forgot.

His was on his third shift at 51. They had what looked to be a medium-deal job in a strip mall...but it turned out to be a BIG deal. A little hole in the wall hot dog joint had a grease fire...but it got in the air duct and spread to the storefronts on either side pretty quick.

The big worry was the dry cleaners at the far end. They had to contain the blaze before it got down there where all the chemicals lived.

The Lieutenant on Truck 81 at that time had been a real hard ass name Wakefield. He rode all three of his Candidates, but he was harder on Kelly than he was on Casey or Darden. Kelly suspected he had some kind of beef with Benny...and since Benny was all the way over in Arson, havin' his kid around was the next best thing.

Years later when Wakefield retired he pulled Severide aside at the party...and he told Kelly that the reason he was so rough on him was because he knew that he had the right stuff. He knew Kelly was a helluva firefighter...and he was right. Youngest man in the history of the Department to be promoted to Squad...a Lieutenant before he was thirty...doin' his old man's old job...and kickin' ass and takin' names.

But at the time...it seemed there was no pleasin' the man.

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Kelly had followed Wakefield into the dry cleaners and they had made a primary search. Things were getting hot and they didn't have much time. They had come up empty on their first pass and the lieutenant had given Severide the signal that it was time to get outta Dodge.

They headed for the door when something deep down in his gut told Kelly they weren't finished...that they'd missed something. In a split second he thought through all the places someone could hide in there...and he realized there was one they hadn't searched.

He turned around and went back...deep into the back of store...and he found a back entrance...locked. And cowering in the corner was a young girl...she couldn't have been more than eighteen. He reached down and pulled her into his arms and took off for the front exit. On the way out he thought he saw an orange tongue of flame shooting out from an overhead vent...like some kind of demonic creature...a snake, maybe.

But he couldn't stop.

He dashed out the door with the girl and three seconds later there was a blast that shattered the plate glass windows. He stumbled forward and almost dropped the victim...but he managed to stay on his feet. Shards of broken glass rained down on them and he ducked his head out of instinct.

He handed the girl off to a paramedic...and pulled his mask off.

Then he realized his knees were shaking so bad he had to sit down.

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Wakefield had ripped him a new one for not following orders...and made Kelly roll all the hoses all by himself once they were dry. It was one of the shittiest jobs a Candidate could get...and having to do it alone was one of the stiffer punishments that got handed down.

Severide grumbled to himself as he did the job...but he couldn't deny the rush he'd gotten when he pulled the girl out and made it through that door at the last second.

He'd had a lot of rushes since then...but never quite the same as the first time.

Kelly stripped off his sweat-soaked t-shirt, grabbed his shaving kit and headed into the shower.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Kelly walked past the "gym" just off the apparatus room...and he could hear someone grunting as they went to town on Boden's heavy bag. Curiosity got the better of him and he opened the door to see who was inside.

He found Wilson...and the Candidate was, indeed, whaling on the bag.

The Candidate fired off a series of punches and took a step back as the bag swung dizzily from the heavy-duty chain.

Impressive...Kelly thought, as he watched Trey pull his gloves off and catch his breath.

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"Not bad, Rookie..." he said.

"Thanks..." Wilson answered. "It's somethin' I picked up in the Navy."

Severide gave a short chuckle.

"Don't let Chief hear you say that. You might end up in the ring."

Wilson chuckled too.

"And it's prob'ly not a good career move to knock out the boss..."

"I wouldn't advise it." Severide replied.

The two men regarded one another for a moment then Severide tossed the kid a towel.

"Thanks, Lieutenant."

"No problem..." he replied. "Hey...in case I didn't mention it earlier...that was a good job at the apartment thing. You did good."

Wilson grinned.

"That's what I signed up for."

"That's what we all signed up for." Kelly told him.

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Veronica came into Helping Hands about every third day now...so Alyssa made it her business to be there in the mornings into the early afternoons with the girls. They were perfectly content. Lexi played in the port-a-crib they just kept behind the counter.

And Maggie thought she was helping Mommy. Lyssa found things for the little girl to count and on every donation receipt, she had anyone working circle the first letter of the last name and then Maggie put them in the big accordion file.

It was a good way to instill a strong work ethic in the children. Alyssa paid her in Monopoly money...and when they bought a book or a toy the little girl wanted, she and Kelly told Maggie she could "pay them back" when they got home.

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Even though she hadn't said anything, Lyssa was more than certain Veronica had some tie to the CFD. Not only that, but who ever that tie was worked Black watch. She only came on the days Kelly was on shift.

She also suspected that someone had hurt the girl very badly...maybe still was. She talked about herself in such a self-deprecating manner...and there was the thing with the long sleeves and long pants in the middle of the summer. Like wearing a suit of armor behind a brick wall.

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She opened the door at ten o'clock...and at ten after ten Veronica walked in. She didn't cringe when the bell rang anymore.

Maggie looked up from her "work".

"Hi Veronica!" she said with a big wave.

Veronica smiled at the little girl.

She made her usual round...she looked at a couple kitchen utensils. But then she passed them by.

She zeroed in on a cream colored throw...and she ran her hand over the soft cotton. She looked at the price...and picked it up, hugging it to her chest.

As she started toward the counter, the bookshelf must have called to her. She looked over the titles and she picked one up. She'd been looking at that same book for about two weeks...and she always put it back at the last second.

But today she carried it to the counter along with the blanket.

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Alyssa smiled.

"I was wondering if you were ever gonna buy that..." she said as she rang it up.

"It's always been one of my favorites." Veronica said with a shy smile.

"Same here."

"Are 'dere princesses in it?" Maggie piped up. "Me 'n Lexi like princesses."

The two women both smiled and Lyssa ruffled her daughter's curls.

"No...no princesses, Honey." she told her.

Maggie went back to her coloring.

If there were no princesses, then what was the point?

Lyssa turned back to Veronica.

"So you like to read?" she asked.

"Yeah...my boyfriend doesn't like it though."

"Kelly doesn't like to read either...unless he's reading to the kids." Lyssa said.

"Well he doesn't like it when I read..." Veronica said. "He says then I'm not concentrating on what's important...like cleaning the apartment and cooking and stuff."

Alyssa gave the girl a strange look.

"It takes maybe, a couple hours tops to clean an apartment. And unless you're cooking ten course meals..."

"My boyfriend likes everything a certain way...he was in the military...and he likes order."

It still sounded weird. Something wasn't right.

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"That's seven seventy-five..." Alyssa said.

Veronica pulled two crumpled fives from her front pocket.

While Lyssa was making the change, her cell phone rang.

The girl pulled it out of her pocket in a hurry and answered it on the second ring.

"Hello?" she said.

Pause...

"I'm at that little shop I told you about...I found a nice blanket for the couch..."

Another pause...

"Okay...I'm going right now..."

She ended the call.

"I have to go...he wants me to go home."

Something was definitely not right.

"Veronica?" she asked. "Is everything okay? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine...I just have to go home. I've been out too long."

She'd been in the store less than half an hour.

But Alyssa didn't want to push her...not when the girl was just starting to feel comfortable around her.

She just hoped and prayed that she'd be safe.

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The team was sitting down to dinner when Kelly's phone went off.

He looked at it and saw he had a text message.

It was from Alyssa...and when he opened it, he burst out laughing.

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"What's so funny?" Shay asked.

Kelly just handed her the phone...he was laughing too hard to answer.

Shay lost it...and she put her hand over her mouth.

"Okay...now I gotta see." Casey reached over and took it out of her hands.

He took a drink of water...and when he looked down at the phone...it went down the wrong way and he started to cough.

Mills came over and grabbed the phone...and soon he was laughing too.

One by one...all the firefighters erupted into hysterics as Severide's phone made its way around the table.

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Alyssa had snapped a picture of the girls out in the four seasons room. Maggie was "reading" to Lexi...but she had the book upside down, and Lexi was practically standing on her head to see it.

"Oh God..." Hermann gasped as he struggled to pull himself together. "That's priceless..."

"It's cute..." Wilson said.

He didn't get the big joke...a couple of kids?

"Who are they?" he asked.

Kelly wiped his hands down his face and tried to stifle the last of the chuckles.

"My daughters..." he told the Candidate. "Maggie and Lexi..."

"Hey..." Casey interrupted. "When's the adoption supposed to go through."

"Any day now..." Severide answered. "Greg says it could be any day now."

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Grigoriy Zvonecek...Otis's cousin...was the lawyer that had helped them when Lexi's birth mother wanted to have visitation with her at 26th and California. That was no place to take a baby.

But thankfully that hadn't happened. And thankfully once she knew she was going to spend the rest of her miserable life behind bars...Jaclyn Fisher had signed away her parental rights, allowing Kelly and Alyssa to officially adopt the baby girl they had fallen in love with the minute she came into their home.

So Cousin Greg had helped them again...this time with the mountains of paperwork that went with the adoption process.

"Hopefully...we'll be able to make Lexi's birthday a double celebration." Kelly added.

"Or you could just do two..." Cruz suggested.

Everyone looked down the table.

"What? Two parties equals two times we get Lyssa's cookin'." he said, like the reason was obvious. "With four kids, she doesn't have time to cook for a bunch 'a hungry firemen anymore."

"Are you sayin' you don't like my cookin'?" Mills asked in mock indignation.

"No...I'm sayin' I like Lyssa's better." Cruz retorted.

There were a few good natured groans and Casey, Kelly and one or two others balled up their paper napkins and threw them at Joe.

"I think maybe it's time we got a taste of the Candidate's cooking." Mills said. "How's next shift sound?"

"Sure..." Wilson said. "Just make sure you got plenty of Alka-Seltzer and Tums on hand."

"We can stock up at the ER..." Shay promised.

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Everyone turned back to their meal.

"Hey, Candidate..." Hermann said. "You hardly told us anything about yourself. You married?"

"No..." Wilson answered. "No...but I've got a girlfriend."

"What's her name?" Otis asked.

"Roni..."

"You should bring 'er 'round Molly's sometime." Hermann suggested. "We'd all love to meet 'er."

But Wilson shook his head.

"I don't think so...she's really shy. She doesn't like to go out."

"C'mon...we're all family." Hermann said.

But Trey Wilson just shrugged non-committally.

Shay took up the line of questioning next.

"How'd you meet her?"

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The rookie set his fork down. He seemed to be carefully considering his answer.

It wasn't a hard question though.

"She used to work in a law office downtown...and I met her when I was delivering for Fed Ex. I thought she was cute...and I asked her out."

He paused the wipe his mouth with his napkin.

"After we started seein' each other...she tells me her boss is a real scumbag. He was always lookin' at her...undressing her with his eyes...she told me she used to run around the desk 'cause he was always lookin' to play 'grab ass'..."

The team watched the new guy...waiting to see where the story went.

"Then one day she called me...crying hysterically...she was in the bathroom at the office, her boss had pushed her down on the couch and tried to rape her. He ripped her blouse...she kicked 'im in the nuts...and ran away. I went and got her...and she quit the next day. Just called 'im. I couldn't let her go back there."

Trey took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"That really scared her. She hasn't been the same since. She doesn't like to go out...she's just happy to play Susie Homemaker now."

There was an uncomfortable silence around the table.

"Well..." Casey finally said. "We get it...but whenever she's ready...tell Roni she's welcome here."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

"What is this, Veronica?" Trey asked.

Veronica looked up from her cleaning.

She was on the floor in the tiny kitchen area...scrubbing in the corner with a toothbrush.

Her face turned pale when she saw what he had in his hand.

It was the book she had bought the last time she was in Helping Hands...she'd read it twice since then.

She thought she had hidden it...under the box spring in the bedroom. Not the mattress...that was too obvious.

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"Where did you get this?" he demanded. "Answer me!"

"I bought it..." she whispered. "At that shop I go to sometimes..."

"This is what you're wasting my money on? Crap?!"

Something in her snapped. She looked up at him.

"It's _not_ crap! Just because you don't like something doesn't mean other people can't enjoy it!"

Trey advanced on her till he was towering over her.

"I don't give a flyin' fuck about 'other people'!" He shouted. "Just the fat, lazy, bitch who wastes my money...wastes time on _**crap**_...when she should be cleaning up this mess!"

He kicked the bucket of water and Pine Sol across the room, spilling dirty water and cleaner across the floor...onto the carpet and even splashing the walls.

Then he grabbed her by the hair and yanked it hard, pulling Veronica to her feet.

"Clean up this mess, Bitch!"

He let go of her and shoved her so she stumbled and nearly slipped in the water.

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"If you hate me so much, why don't I just go?" she cried.

Trey crossed the room in a couple strides...raised his right hand...and backhanded her across the face.

"Go?!" he laughed sadistically. "Where the hell are you gonna go?! Back to your parents? Maybe you can go shack up with your old boss!"

He was so close she could feel his hot breath against her stinging cheek.

"I own you..." he hissed. "Don't _ever _forget that. I _own _you!"

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He grabbed her upper arm and squeezed it so hard she thought he might crush the bones in his hand. And he dragged her back across the room to the sink, where he tossed her book in. Then he reached into his pocket and took out a silver lighter with the Navy insignia on it...and held the flame to the edge of the cover till it caught fire.

A strangled sob escaped Veronica's lips as she watched the flame eat hungrily at the glossy cover of the one thing that had brought her more pleasure in the past couple days than anything in the last three years.

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Alyssa stood at the window balancing Lexi on her left hip...staring down the block in the direction Veronica usually came from.

It had been close to two weeks...three shifts for Black watch...and she hadn't come in once.

Ever since she had noticed the pattern...she made it her business to be at Helping Hands between ten and one...Veronica's usual time. And now she was getting a little anxious. What little information she'd been able to get from the girl had her convinced that whoever the mystery boyfriend was he was _at_ _least _emotionally abusive. And that was intolerable under any circumstances.

"Mama...down?" Lexi asked. "Play?"

Lyssa gave the toddler a little bounce.

"It's almost time to go home Sweet Girl. It's time to get lunch..."

"Num-nums!" Lexi said with a clap of her hands.

The little girl liked to eat...as much as any of the Severide kids.

God willing...they'd be able to call her that officially very, _very _soon.

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The next few days were a flurry of activity at the Severide's'.

Andy and Jesse were going to a week-long basketball camp at Northwestern University out in Evanston. They would stay in a dorm...eat in the dining room...and be coached by the coaches and the players of the Wildcats.

It would be their first time away from home. They'd had sleepovers before...but always with family.

Kelly wasn't sure who was more anxious...the boys...or Alyssa.

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On Sunday, Shay came to stay with the girls...and Kelly and Lyssa drove Andy and Jesse out to Evanston.

They helped their boys unpack their things, make up the beds...and then the family walked down to the dining room and over to the gym to look around.

Andy and Jesse stared with wide eyes as they walked onto the court.

It was huge!

"Man!" Andy said. "You could fit two of the gyms at school in here!"

"Four..." Jesse corrected. "At least..."

"Dad, did you ever play in a place like this?" Andy asked.

Kelly shook his head.

"No...my high school gym was nothin' like this."

He was as much in awe as his sons.

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He got a little choked up though when they hugged the twins and said good-bye for a week.

How did parents do this when they sent their kids off to summer camp for two or three months? Or when they sent them off to college?

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Kelly wrapped his arm around Alyssa's shoulders as they crossed the parking lot to their car.

It was going to be weird...only having the girls for the week. He had a few things planned for his days off. He was going to take everyone out for lunch and then for a carriage ride downtown...and there was a festival at Merrimack Park next weekend, so he thought they could check it out Friday night. There was supposed to be a good band that night and the girls would have a lot of fun.

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They decided to take the scenic route home and as they wound along Sheridan Road Kelly noticed Alyssa was a little preoccupied.

"Hey...it's only for a week, Babe." he told her. "You won't even have time to get used to the quiet..."

"That's not what's bothering me." she said. "Yeah, I'll miss Andy and Jesse...but they're gonna have a great time."

"So what's the problem?"

"Veronica hasn't come by the store in almost two weeks. I'm worried something might've happened to her."

"Like what?" Kelly asked.

Alyssa took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"I'm pretty sure she's in an abusive relationship." she said.

She'd never said it out loud before...and just sharing her suspicions with Kelly made her feel a lot lighter.

"Some things she said...like her boyfriend doesn't like for her to read 'cause she's supposed to clean the apartment...he calls her like...every thirty minutes and if she's not home he orders her back there."

"Maybe they've got dog or something that needs to go out..."

He was looking for a logical explanation for this girl's strange behavior...maybe then his wife wouldn't let it eat at her.

It was a long shot, but he had to try.

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The week flew by...on Tuesday when Kelly got off shift they packed a picnic and took the girls to Lincoln Park Zoo.

This time Lexi was old enough to sort of have an idea about what was going on...and Kelly hoisted her up onto his shoulders.

"Look how big you are!" he said.

And she just giggled and tangled her little fingers in his hair as she held on.

"Ow. If you're gonna pull my hair out...you're ridin' in the wagon." Kelly told her.

But that didn't make a bit of difference and he asked Lyssa to pull his baseball cap out of the bag.

Maggie skipped along in front of them singing...

"Lions and tigers and bears! Oh my! Lions and tigers and bears! Oh my!"

And before too long Lexi joined in.

"Yi-gones an' tigers an' bears! Oh my! Yi-gones an' tigers an' bears! Oh my!"

Kelly couldn't help but chuckle.

Every time he didn't think his girls could get any cuter...somehow they did.

"Hey...let's go see Mommy's favorite." he said. "Who knows what that is?"

"Da' monkeys!" Maggie cried out. "Mommy likes da monkeys!"

"Muckeys!" Lexi said. "Muckeys!"

"That's right..." he told them. "To the monkey house..."

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On Wednesday night, after the girls were tucked in for the night, Kelly was looking forward to a little alone time with his beautiful wife.

He walked down the hall to his room...thinking maybe they'd put a movie on...maybe not...

But no sooner had he closed the door behind him, then his phone went off.

"Greg?" he said as he accepted the call." "What's up?"

What could their lawyer be calling for at eight o'clock at night?

"You're kidding." he asked. "Really?"

Alyssa was curious and she crossed the room. She slipped her arms around his waist and watched the expression on his face, trying to gage if this was good news or another delay.

Kelly listened for another minute or so and Alyssa thought she was going to explode from the anticipation.

What was happening?

"Thanks..." Kelly said, nothing in his voice or in his body language giving away the reason for the lawyer's call. "Thanks for callin'...okay...'Night."

He clicked the button that ended the call.

And he was quiet.

"Well? Don't just stand there, Severide!" Alyssa said as she lightly smacked him on the shoulder. "What'd he say?"

Kelly's face broke into a huge grin.

"She's ours." he said. "The adoption was finalized today."

Tears sprang to Alyssa's eyes...and Kelly swung her into his arms, stepped into the center of the room and twirled her around.

"She's ours?" Alyssa whispered in almost awe...in disbelief.

It was over. Lexi was officially Alexis Anne Severide.

It was too good to be true.

Kelly set his wife down, but he didn't let go.

"Greg got the papers messengered to his office. He's gonna bring them over tomorrow."

He leaned down and kissed her with everything he had.

"She's ours, Lyssa...Lexi's really our daughter." he said, once they came up for air...his voice choked with emotion.

"Really and truly..."

And she stood on her toes to kiss him again.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

It looked like half of Chicago was in the Severide's back yard.

But today was a momentous occasion. Today was Lexi's second birthday/adoption party and when he'd sat down to total up the guest list with Alyssa he was shocked to find they had over a hundred people coming.

Kyle Riordan, their old neighbor said people were parking three and four blocks away.

Fortunately, Alyssa's brother Jimmy lived right next door and his yard was handling the over flow.

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Six barbeque grill were going and the beer and Sangria was flowing freely. People were gorging themselves on ribs and burgers, chicken and brats...pasta salad...baked beans...

Over by the basketball hoop Andy and Jesse were absolutely skunkin' Capp and Vargas in a game of two on two. Kelly looked on with pride. He'd played with the guys for years, and he knew when they were bringin' their A game.

It was good to know his money had been well spent on that basketball camp.

Little kids were running all over the place. Maggie, Ainsley, Lexi and Trevor were crawling all over the fire truck Casey had built for the boys ten years ago. And Hollywood was putting his little girl on the top of the slide and then running to catch her.

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They set out the dozens and dozens of cupcakes Alyssa had been baking all week...and this year Kelly had the foresight to have someone keep Maggie away from the candle so they didn't have a repeat of last year.

Maggie loved having a little sister...until that little sister stole some of her thunder.

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And then came the big unveiling...Casey, Mills, Otis, Cruz and Hermann carried out the pink firehouse the entire team had spent two weeks working on.

Lexi loved her pink fire truck and she liked to park it in the firehouse...and when she cried because Daddy wouldn't let her color it pink...Daddy had promised to get her a firehouse of her very own. A pink firehouse...with pink trucks...fully staffed by girl firefighters in pink bunker gear.

Because there was so little time to get it together it had taken everybody, working assembly line style...cutting, sanding, priming, painting...and putting it together to get it done in time.

"You're lucky that kid 'a yours is so damn cute, Lieutenant..." Hermann had told him. "'Cause this..."

He held up his paintbrush dipped in pink paint.

"This..." he said. "Is a sacrilege."

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But they had got it together...and Lexi was jumping up and down...clapping her hands...squealing with pure delight.

"Pink fi-haus!" she cried. "I gots a pink fi-haus!"

Then she turned to Andy.

"Mine!"

Andy backed away silently with his hands in the air.

This was one firefighter thing he wanted absolutely no part of.

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The party was winding down when Kelly spotted Wilson helping himself to one last beer.

"Hey..." he said. "Did ya have a good time?"

"Yeah...great party Lieutenant." the Candidate replied.

"You get enough to eat?"

Nobody ever left the Severide house with an empty stomach. That was a cardinal sin to an Italian like Alyssa.

"God...I don't think I'll eat for a week! Cruz wasn't kiddin' 'bout your wife's cooking."

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As if on cue, Alyssa came up beside Kelly.

"Hey, Honey?" she said. "I think your Aunt Kathy's about ready to leave."

"Okay..." Kelly said.

Then he turned to Wilson.

"Wilson...this is my wife, Alyssa."

The Candidate held out his hand.

"Pleased to meet you, ma'am..."

Alyssa gave him a look.

"Don't mind that..." Kelly told her. "He was in the Navy for four years..."

Lyssa returned Wilson's handshake.

"Hey, did ya bring your girlfriend?" Severide asked. "Roni?"

"No...I told you. She doesn't like to go out. She's a real homebody."

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Suddenly the pieces all fell into place...at least for Alyssa.

Roni? Doesn't get out much? A homebody?

A boyfriend who was in the Navy?

A boyfriend who was a firefighter...and worked Black Watch?

Everything made perfect sense.

The new candidate at Station 51 was Veronica's boyfriend.

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Later that night, after all the guests were gone, the leftover food put away, and the house more or less restored to rights...Kelly and Alyssa climbed the stairs to their room.

They were both exhausted...yet exhilarated at the same time. Even though they had big parties on a fairly regular basis, there was something about this one.

Lexi was officially their daughter...and they had both agreed that now their family was complete.

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But Alyssa was still seriously troubled by what she had figured out...the connection between Veronica and the new candidate, Trey Wilson. She had just figured out who..._what_...because she wasn't sure she wanted to call him human...had turned that girl into a virtual prisoner who jumped at the sight of her own shadow.

She was so lost in her thoughts that she jumped when Kelly came up behind her.

He laid his hands on her shoulders...

"What?" he asked as he felt his wife startle.

"What do you mean 'what'? You shouldn't sneak up on people, Kelly."

"I wasn't 'sneaking'...you knew I was right there."

He wasn't sure why they were arguing on what was supposed to be a special day.

He turned Alyssa to face him.

"What's goin' on, Babe?" he asked her as he studied her face, trying to figure out what she was thinking. "Why're so uptight all the sudden?"

"It's not 'all the sudden'..."

"Look, I'm just a dumb guy here..." he said, frustration starting to color his tone. "You're gonna have to just come out with it..."

And he crossed his arms over his chest, waiting for an answer.

Alyssa looked him in the eye.

"The new guy...Trey...he's Veronica's boyfriend." she told him matter-of-factly. "He's the one who's been hurting her."

"What're you talkin' about?" he asked. "How'd you make that leap?"

"It's not a leap, Kelly...it's connecting the dots."

"Well, you need to go back and try again." he said. "'Cause you don't know what you're talkin' about."

"C'mon, Severide! Open your eyes!"

She counted on her fingers.

"His girlfriend "Roni"? She doesn't go out...she's a "homebody"? The military thing? Her nearly going into a full blown panic at the sight of my necklace? She only comes in the store when you guys are on shift? How many more _dots_ do you need me to connect for you?"

"Alyssa...I know this guy. I work with him! I trust him with my life!"

He headed for the bathroom to take a shower.

"You're wrong about him..."

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"I'm not wrong, Kelly."

Kelly spun around to face his wife again.

"Yeah, you are! This is a firefighter we're talkin' about!"

Alyssa rolled her eyes and set her hands on her hips.

"And a firefighter would never lay a hand on a woman, right? 'Cause that's never happened before. Not in the whole history of the CFD. One of your "brothers" couldn't possibly..."

"No...he couldn't." Kelly said. "'Cause we'd know."

"You don't want to know, Kelly!" She told him in a voice so cold it sent chills up his spine. "You just wanna stick your head up your ass!"

The charged words just hung in the air.

Kelly turned around again and stalked off to the bathroom, slamming the door behind him.

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As he stood under the shower, he tried to figure out what had just happened.

How could Alyssa accuse one of his co-workers of beating up on his girlfriend? And how could she tell him he was wrong about this?

Trey Wilson was a good firefighter...he did everything he was supposed to...and then some. He was the best Candidate they'd had at Station 51 for a good while. Not that 51 got many fuck-ups...but Wilson was head and shoulders above most of 'em. He had a long career ahead of him...

And now Alyssa was attacking the guy's character...after just meeting him.

The things she pointed out...the name...the military connection...the girl freakin' out to find out Lyssa was a firefighter's wife? All of that could just be coincidence. It was a big city...there had t be more than one Veronica/Roni...there were lots of guys who had military experience. That didn't prove Wilson was a wife beater.

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When Kelly came out of the bathroom, Alyssa was already in bed and the lights were out.

As he pulled shorts out of his dresser drawer he could make out in the darkened room that she had her back toward his side of the bed, and she was as far over on her side as she could get without falling off.

Well, that was just fine with him...he thought as he got into bed. He pulled the covers up over him...and he realized he hadn't felt this far apart from her in a long...long time.

But she was wrong about this one...and he was sure of it.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

"Wheee-ooohhh! Wheee-ooohhh! Wheee-ooohhh!"

That's what Kelly heard as he came down the stairs the next morning.

He had barely slept the night before. He never slept well when he and Alyssa fought...but last night, was really bad.

He couldn't get over that she would accuse a firefighter he worked with of beating his girlfriend. And that just ate at him all night long.

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"Wheee-ooohhh! Wheee-ooohhh! Wheee-ooohhh!"

The noise got even louder as he stepped into the kitchen.

The whole family was already awake...and likely the whole neighborhood too.

Andy sat at the table with his hands pressed over his ears.

"Dad!" he cried. "Dad! Please! Make her stop!"

Lexi was playing with her pink fire house.

Kelly just shook his head.

"Dad! She's drivin' me nuts!"

"Whaddya think you used to do when you were her age?" Kelly asked with a sardonic grin on his face. "I shoulda bought stock in Advil."

"'Sides..." Jesse pointed out. "You're the one who taught her that noise. 'What's the fire truck say, Lexi?'"

Andy gave his brother a dirty look.

He couldn't believe his twin would just throw him under the bus like that.

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Kelly went out to the four seasons room.

There was Lexi...one hand on one pink fire truck, the other on the yellow ambulance...bent over, pushing them in front of her while she added her own sound effects.

He pulled his phone out of his pocket and leaned against the door jam. He held up the phone and filmed about a minute...minute and a half. The guys had been giving him non-stop grief about the pink firehouse for about three weeks now...ever since he told Casey what he needed him to build.

Let them see how much pleasure the baby was getting from their gift...

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"C'mon Lexi..." he said after he put the phone away. "Let's get some breakfast."

Lexi popped straight upright.

"Num-nums?" she asked.

"C'mon..."

"Num-nums!" she cried as she ran past her Daddy. "Num-nums!"

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After the family finished their breakfast and the kids had gone off to the family room Kelly and Alyssa sat alone in uncomfortable silence.

He really hated it when they fought. Usually they were totally together on most everything...but right now it felt like they were on opposite sides of the Grand Canyon.

He wished he could explain it to her. When you went into a fire, you had to have total faith in the man on either side of you. You could never be sure what was going to happen...and you had to trust that your brothers had your back and would pull you out if things went south.

Trey had proven he was that kind of firefighter.

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Alyssa cleared her throat...and Kelly looked up from his coffee mug.

"Were you gonna take Andy and Jesse to get new football cleats today?" she asked.

"Yeah...Andy's been complainin' his are too tight." Kelly answered. "What'd you have to do?"

"Lexi still needs a few things...and Maggie needs new school shoes."

Kelly nodded.

All the things parents needed to take care of the weekend before school started.

"Do you want to go out to Schaumburg?" she asked. "There's a sale at Penney's...one at Macy's...and they have a Dick's Sporting Goods in that other mall across from Woodfield."

"Sure...and I can call my cousin and see if he and the kids wanna meet us for lunch."

Not exactly the way he had hoped to spend the day...

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Out in the family room Jesse cocked his head to one side, peering across the dining room, through the kitchen door.

Mom and Dad were not acting right. Usually when the kids were out of the room they sat close together and held hands. Sometimes Mom even sat on Dad's lap.

"Andy?" he said. "What's goin' on with Mom and Dad?"

Andy didn't look up from "Inferno" on the X-box.

"Huh? Whaddya mean?"

"They're not actin' all cuddly like they usually do." Jesse answered.

"They're prob'ly tired from the party. 'Sides...they're too old to be touchin' all the time. That's for teenagers."

Cousin Samantha had a new boyfriend...and they were always kissing and holding hands.

Gross.

Jesse rolled his eyes.

Just yesterday Mom and Dad were snuggling and cuddling and actin' like a couple teenagers. They hadn't aged so much in one stinkin' day.

Something was definitely not right.

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Things still weren't resolved when Kelly went to work the next morning.

He and Alyssa had just dropped the subject of Trey and Veronica and their supposed connection.

But it kept nagging at him.

All day long he kept finding things to do. Physical things...so he wouldn't have to think. He mopped floors, rolled hose lines...cleaned and re-organized the Squad...and he was about to go scrub the showers.

"Hey, Lieutenant..." Capp said as Severide headed for the locker room with the cleaning supplies. "That's what Candidates are for...scrubbin' johns."

"Or maybe you should do it, Capp." he retorted. "Show the Candidate how it's done."

Capp shut his mouth in a hurry.

Whatever had gotten into Severide...he didn't want to get stuck on latrine duty because of it.

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Alyssa wasn't having a much better day than Kelly.

She hated it when they argued. And she hated it when he left for work when there were unsettled issues between them.

That was the hell of being a firefighter's wife. You never knew what was going to happen when he walked out that door. That point had been driven home two and a half years before. Kelly had left for work in the morning...and then she'd gotten a call at two in the morning.

And this morning, they hadn't even kissed good-bye or said they loved each other.

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Maggie and Lexi were spending the day at Joey and EmmaLynn's...so she came into the store with Kathy, who was in the back going through bags of donations.

Alyssa had dragged a box of old books out and was going through them.

Books...and she couldn't help but think of Veronica.

Her boyfriend didn't like her reading because it took her away from "important" things...like cleaning a one bedroom apartment.

Alyssa would bet her bottom dollar the place was so clean you could eat off the floors.

The bells above the door jingled...and who should walk in?

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Lyssa felt a sense of relief wash over her.

The girl was okay...she was standing there in one piece.

Then she frowned.

Instead of making her usual circuit around the store, picking up items, looking at prices...this time Veronica came straight to the counter.

She looked down...her long hair falling in her face, her fists balled up, holding onto the cuffs of her long sleeved white t-shirt.

She looked thinner than she had two weeks ago...and even more withdrawn.

"Veronica..." Alyssa said. "I was wondering where you'd been. I haven't seen you in while."

"I've been real busy..." the girl said unconvincingly.

She raised her eyes slightly...and her hair fell back a bit.

And Alyssa saw the remains of a black and blue mark on her right cheek.

Her eyes narrowed.

"What happened to you?" she asked.

"Oh...I...I...uh...walked into a door." Veronica stammered. "I'm so clumsy."

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Alyssa pursed her lips together.

Her suspicions were confirmed, as far as she was concerned. Not only that, but Veronica was in danger. It was time to say something.

"Kathy?" she called out. "Kath...can you come out here?"

Kathy Boungiovanni came out of the back.

"Veronica and I are gonna take a little walk." Alyssa said. "Can you watch the front?"

The two sisters-in-law held a silent conversation with only their eyes.

Kathy nodded.

"Sure...take your time." she said. "I'll hold down the fort."

"Thank-you." Alyssa mouthed as she came around the counter.

And before Veronica could protest...she led the girl out the door.

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"Where are we going?" Veronica asked.

"Someplace quiet." Alyssa answered. "Someplace we can talk and not be distracted."

Someplace safe...she added in her head.

She walked down the block and crossed Melvina.

Then Alyssa walked up the steps to St. Pasqual's.

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She stopped to dip her fingers in the Holy Water and make the Sign of the Cross.

She noticed Veronica did the same.

They say down in the very last pew.

Veronica looked around at the stained glass windows...

"I haven't been in a church in a long time." she whispered.

"You're safe here, Veronica." Lyssa told her gently. "Nobody can hurt you...nobody's gonna judge you."

She took a breath.

"Veronica...is Trey Wilson your boyfriend?"

"How did you know?"

"He was at my house last weekend. For Lexi's birthday party."

"He said he had to go someplace for work..." Veronica said in a shaky voice.

Lyssa nodded. That made sense that he'd say that.

"My husband's Lieutenant Kelly Severide." she said. "He's in charge of Squad 3."

Veronica's eyes opened wide.

"Trey talks about Lieutenant Severide all the time."

Again, Lyssa nodded. Kelly talked about the Candidate too. He thought he had the stuff to be a great firefighter someday.

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"Veronica? I'm going to ask you something...and I hope you know you can tell me the truth."

The girl looked at her warily...and Alyssa could see her mentally bracing herself for the question.

"Does Trey hit you?"

Veronica started to get up...to run away.

Lyssa had guessed her deepest, darkest secret...and now she flushed red with embarrassment. She had to get out of there.

But Alyssa gently laid a hand on the girl's arm.

"Veronica...look at me. I want to show you something." she said. "I know you've seen these before...but..."

When Veronica looked up, Alyssa turned her right arm, so the scar running down her forearm was plain to see.

"I had both bones broken. I've still got a titanium rod in there."

Then she pointed to the scar on her upper arm.

"I had a rod in there too...but they just took it out when they operated on my shoulder last winter."

And finally she raised her face to the light.

"If you look close...you can see where they basically rebuilt my face. My jaw...my eye sockets...my cheek bones."

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"Why are you showing me this?" Veronica asked in a trembling voice...barely above a whisper.

Alyssa didn't answer. She just went on.

"If I were to take off my blouse...you'd see the scars there too. From here..."

She pointed to the well healed trach incision at the base of her throat.

"All the way down my chest...and out across my stomach. It's from when they removed my spleen...and repaired a laceration to my liver, and my right kidney."

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Veronica was finally starting to get the message.

"Did your husband do that to you?"

Alyssa shook her head.

"No. A guy named Bradley Paul did." she said. "I met him at a party some friends of mine were giving. He seemed really nice...smart...good sense of humor."

She paused to collect herself.

It was hard to talk about it...even after all the time that had past.

"I went out with him a couple of times...twice as a matter of fact. And right away, he started to get really serious. He started talking about moving in together. I told him it was way too soon to be saying stuff like that...but he didn't stop. He'd get jealous if I even said 'excuse me' to a man on my way to the rest room.

"I broke things off after a just a couple weeks. But he kept calling me...every five minutes...wanting to know where I was...who I was with. So I got a new phone number.

"Then he started hanging around where I worked...so I changed jobs. He showed up at the places my friends and I hung out at...and then one day he smashed the windshield of my car."

"What'd you do?" asked Veronica.

Alyssa looked down at her hands.

"I moved. And swore everyone I knew to secrecy. I told my family I just needed some space of my own. And it seemed all right...for a while. I met Kelly at a bar a few months later...and I fell head over heels in love with him."

"Did he know? About the other guy?"

"Some..." Alyssa admitted. "I told him there was a jealous ex...and that he kind of freaked me out. But I didn't tell him the whole story."

"So how'd you get the scars?"

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This was the really hard part...

"I was always afraid Brad would find me...that it was only a matter of time." she said, her voice shaking as she spoke . "And one night he did.

"I was at a bar...one I started hanging out at after I moved. I was with Kelly...and a bunch of his friends from the firehouse. We were laughing...throwing darts...having a good time. Then I went to go to the restroom...and suddenly someone grabbed me by the arm. And it was Brad."

"What happened?" Veronica asked.

"Kelly heard me tell him to let go...and he came over and made Brad leave. We went home right after...and the next day I went and filed for a restraining order.

"Then about two weeks after that...when Kelly was on shift...Brad broke into my apartment. He just kicked in my front door...and he...he tried to kill me. He beat me...and when I tried to crawl out of the apartment...he came after me again and kicked me down three flights of stairs."

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Veronica looked up at Alyssa with tears in her eyes.

She felt like she'd just seen a glimpse of the future.

"Why are you telling me this?" she whispered.

"Because I saw the writing on the wall with Brad. If I'd stayed with him...moved in with him...I'd be in the same boat you are right now. Assuming I was still even alive. I just don't want to see you in the same boat I was in. No man has a right to use a woman for a punching bag. You're smart...you told me you have a college degree...from Northwestern, no less. You're beautiful..."

"No I'm not. Trey says..."

"I don't give a..." Alyssa stopped herself.

She wasn't about to swear in church.

"I don't care what Trey says." she said forcefully. "He's putting you down because he's insecure. He's threatened by you...because he knows in his heart of hearts he doesn't measure up. So he's tearing you down in order to build himself up! That's not how love works!

"Kelly tells me every day how much he loves me...that I'm smart...beautiful...and that he couldn't live without me. He shows me every day...in the things he does for me and the kids. He makes me feel like the most beautiful...the luckiest woman in the world!"

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Veronica hung her head...and her shoulders began to shake with silent sobs.

Alyssa slid closer and put her arms around the girl. She held her...gently smoothing back her hair...whispering softly under her breath like she did with one of her children.

When Veronica had cried herself out...when she didn't have a single tear left...she drew a ragged breath.

"What do I do?" she asked in a voice that was absolutely wracked with pain. "I don't know what to do."

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The next morning when Kelly came home...he found Alyssa at the kitchen table...and a young girl sitting with her.

"Kelly..." Alyssa said. "This is Veronica...Trey's girlfriend. She's gonna be staying with us for a while."


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Matt Casey pulled his truck into Severide's driveway.

He had gotten a phone call from his fellow Lieutenant just as he was getting home after shift telling him Matt needed to get over to his house ASAP. It was important.

Kelly came out to meet him as Casey got out of the cab.

"What's the big emergency?" he asked.

"There's someone inside you need to meet." Severide replied tersely.

He led the way into the house.

"There's this girl that's been comin' 'round Alyssa's store for the past couple months..."

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The two men went in through the four season's room where Lexi was already playing with her firehouse.

"Hey, Birthday Girl..." Casey said, stopping to get down to her level. "Whatcha got there?"

"Ucky Matt!" she chirped. "Pink fi-haus! Mine pink fi-haus!"

"I know..."Casey told her with a big smile. "Uncle Matt worked really hard to make that for you."

He held out his arms.

"Can I have a hug?"

Lexi popped up onto her feet and took a running start before she launched herself into Casey's arms.

Casey chuckled as he struggled to keep his balance.

"That's the best hug I've had all day!"

Severide stood in the kitchen doorway.

"Casey..." he said.

When Matt looked his way Kelly cocked his head to one side, indicating they had other business to attend to.

There'd be time to play with the baby later...after they figured out how to handle their newest problem.

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Casey set Lexi down, telling her to go play...then he followed Severide into the house.

Kelly led his friend through the kitchen, through the dining room...into the living room where Alyssa sat with Veronica on the huge sectional sofa.

Veronica was sitting with her knees drawn up to her chest...her arms hugging her legs until she formed a tight ball.

Kelly took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"This is Veronica Tabor...she's Wilson's girlfriend." he said. "Veronica...this is Lieutenant Casey."

Veronica seemingly drew herself up even tighter.

Casey looked perplexed as he sat down slowly. He hoped someone would start explaining soon.

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Alyssa moved closer to the girl, smoothing down her hair...gently reassuring her she had nothing to worry about.

Kelly watched his wife comforting Veronica and he felt like he'd just been kicked in the balls.

He'd been freezing Lyssa out for almost three days because she told him something he didn't want to hear. Something that had turned out to be dead spot on.

Something that turned out to be worse than he could have even imagined.

"I'm glad to finally meet you...Veronica." Casey said. "Trey's told us about you..."

"Alyssa told me something the other night..." Kelly began. "After Lexi's party."

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And as if on cue, out in the four season's room they heard the little girl

" Wheee-ooohhh! Wheee-ooohhh! Wheee-ooohhh!"

She was going to fight a fire...

" Wheee-ooohhh! Wheee-ooohhh! Wheee-ooohhh!"

Severide had to raise his voice slightly to drown out the "sirens".

"Veronica's been comin' into Lyssa's store for a few months now...and Lyssa thought she might be in a bad relationship."

He took a seat on the arm of the sofa.

"I didn't wanna hear it. I didn't wanna think someone we work with is using his girlfriend for a punching bag."

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Casey looked up in surprise.

That didn't sound like the Wilson they knew.

But then again, how well did they _really_ know him?

"I see..." Casey said.

He tried to get Veronica to look him in the eye...

"Veronica? How long has this been going on?" he asked gently.

For her to be this withdrawn...he'd guess a while.

"We're gonna help you." Casey promised.

Kelly was waiting for the answer right along with him. He'd tried to elicit the same information...but Veronica just shut down.

"It's okay, Veronica." Alyssa whispered. "Just tell them what you told me."

Veronica drew a ragged breath.

"Three years..." she whispered, so softly the men barely heard her.

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Over the next four hours they slowly pulled the whole story out of her...taking a break to get the kids breakfast, and then to engage the girls in some activity.

The boys were easy...as soon as they finished eating they were out the door to play with Connor and Micah from down the block...eager to make these last couple days of summer vacation count.

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It was as painful to listen to as it was for Veronica to tell it. But after everything was all out in the open they could safely conclude that not only was Trey Wilson a violent, sadistic sonofabitch...he was also a pathological liar.

Everything he had ever told them...from how his relationship with "Roni" started...to his service record was a pure, out-and -out fabrication.

He had told the men at Station 51 that he was going to be a SEAL...he'd even been accepted into BUD/S...but then he was involved in firefighting efforts aboard the Theodore Roosevelt, the aircraft carrier he said he'd been assigned to. It was then he realized firefighting was the ultimate rush...and he withdrew himself from SEAL training and left the Navy to become a Chicago Firefighter when his contract was up.

Turned out...Wilson had been a low level clerk in the Base Housing Office. He never set foot on a boat...never saw combat...the closest he ever got to any conflict was a brawl at the E-Club which got him a week in the Brig.

Kelly was pretty sure he wasn't the only one seeing red by the time the last word hung in the air...by the time the last tear had been wrung out of the girl.

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Alyssa led Veronica off to the guest room to lie down and then she went to get the girls a snack.

Severide and Casey sat at opposite ends of the couch...both shaken to the core. They were seasoned firefighters, and they had seen the things one human being could do to another over and over again. But never with one of their own.

"What're we gonna do about him?" Kelly wondered out loud.

He knew what he'd like to do...but that probably wouldn't be the most helpful in this situation.

"We're gonna talk to him...for starters." Casey said. "We're gonna let him know that kinda shit ain't gonna fly. And we're gonna make sure Veronica's in a safe place."

"She'll be safe here." Kelly said.

They were on shift with Wilson...and the two lieutenants would be all over him like white on rice for those twenty-four hours. Then when they were off...Severide was gonna be around to make sure the Candidate didn't try anything funny.

"Do we tell the rest of the guys?"

"They'll find out eventually...but we need to bring Chief up to speed as soon as possible." Casey told him. "We should prob'ly call him now."

"Hold off." Severide told his friend. "She can't tell that story again...at least not today."

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Later...when all the kids had gone to bed...and Veronica was asleep in the guest room...Kelly came up behind Alyssa as she turned back the covers on the bed.

He reached around her and stilled her hands, then wrapped his body around hers.

He could feel the softness of her dark brown hair against his face...and he breathed in the scent of lemon shampoo he'd come to love more than any other scent. He felt her chest rise and fall with every breath she took.

And he could feel her heart beating.

"Lyssa..." he whispered. "I'm sorry..."

Kelly turned her in his arms, so she faced him...and he searched her eyes for forgiveness.

"You tried to tell me..." he went on.

But Alyssa gently put her fingertips to her husband's lips.

"Shhh..." she whispered. "Shhh...It's all right...it's okay."

"Lyssa..."

"No more talking..." she told him. "No more talking."

"I love you." he said, his voice husky with emotion.

"And I love you..." she told him.

She laid her head against his chest and he tangled his fingers in her hair.

There was still a lot to deal with...and the real work hadn't even begun...but for tonight, everything was all right. He had her...she had him...and they had four beautiful children asleep down the hall.

And that was all either of them needed to know.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Casey and Severide met up outside the firehouse before shift.

It was time to confront the Candidate.

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Veronica had been with the Severide's for two days and Alyssa was having a helluva time just getting the girl out of her room.

The damage that had been done was enough to make you sick. But Alyssa had said there were a lot of different emotions going on right now...shame and embarrassment that she'd allowed this to happen...that she'd been taken in by this person. Sadness...hurt...and a sense of mourning the "love" she thought she had...the love she had wanted.

Veronica was going to have to repair all her old relationships...the ones she'd abandoned because Trey had told her the only one she needed to be concerned with was him...starting with herself. She had to find the girl she used to be and make peace with her.

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Kelly hadn't realized that Alyssa had gone through some of that herself when Bradley Paul had attacked her. He had thought that her struggle was all in overcoming the physical injuries she had suffered. He hadn't realized that there was psychological damage as well. He'd known about the physical therapy she had gotten in the hospital, but he hadn't realized a psychologist had come to work with her as well...talking through what had happened...letting her come to the realization that it was not her fault.

But the past two days had reminded him of something he'd known for years. Alyssa had the biggest heart of anyone he knew. If anyone would be able to help Veronica through this, it would be her.

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Now to deal with Trey Wilson.

The Candidate was already in the locker room...sitting on the bench between the rows looking like someone had run over his dog.

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The two lieutenants shared a look between them.

"Wilson..." Casey greeted him...an edge creeping into his voice. "You don't look so good."

Trey looked up at his Lieutenant.

"Roni's gone." he said "I got home after our last shift and the apartment was empty...a bunch of her things were gone, I've been trying to get in touch with her but her phone keeps goin' straight to voicemail."

Yeah...Veronica's phone had been blowing up the past two days with calls and texts...and every time it went off the poor girl just about went through the ceiling. Finally Kelly took it away. It was in his bag at that very moment as a matter of fact.

"I tried calling the cops..." Wilson went on. "But they wouldn't even take a missing persons' report. They said she's an adult...her stuff's gone...she most likely went of her own free will. They won't even do anything!"

It was surprising he hadn't tried to report a burglary...Kelly thought.

"I don't know what to do." Trey said desperately. "I'm afraid something might've happened to her."

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Severide just rolled his eyes. He felt like he was about to choke on the stench of the bullshit the Candidate was spreading around. Talk about a drama queen...

"Nothin's happened to her." he said. "Except she got away from you."

Wilson's eyes narrowed.

"What's that supposed to mean? You know where Roni is?"

"She's at my place...and she's perfectly fine."

"What's she doing there?" Trey sputtered. "And why the hell isn't she answering her phone?"

"'Cause I've got her phone." Kelly said.

The Candidate leaped to his feet.

"Why?" he demanded. "What business do you have gettin' between me and my girl?"

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Just like a fire, Kelly's anger reached the flashover point. Something inside him exploded and before Casey could stop him he had the Candidate by the front of the shirt and slammed him up against the lockers.

"You goddamn sonofabitch!" he hissed. "You wanna hit someone?"

He pulled Trey forward and slammed him back again...the sound echoing throughout the room.

The men coming in to get changed for shift stopped in their tracks.

What the hell had gotten into Severide?

"You wanna hit someone?" he yelled. "I'm right here! I'm right here! Let's see what you got!"

The charged words just hung in the air...and for a long moment nobody moved.

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Then Casey stepped forward and pulled Kelly off Wilson.

Severide took a step back. The adrenaline was coursing through his veins and he was shaking. He tried to still his hands...and get his heart rate back down near normal.

"What the hell?" Cruz asked. "What's goin' on?"

"I'll tell you what's goin' on." Kelly said. "Everything this sack 'a shit's been tellin' us is a lie! He's no big Navy hero...he was never gonna be a SEAL. Oh...and when he goes home after shift...he likes to beat the shit outta his girlfriend!"

The entire team was stunned into silence. The men looked back and forth from Wilson to Severide...and back to Wilson.

Could it be true?

Severide might be a lot of things...but a liar was definitely not one of them.

And Wilson wasn't even trying to defend himself. He just sagged back against the lockers like he'd had the air let outta him.

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The enormity of the whole thing hit them all at once.

"You sonofabitch..." Hermann growled through clenched teeth.

Everyone started talking at once and the situation was becoming more tense by the second.

"Okay! Okay! Enough!" Casey raised his voice to make himself heard over the crowd.

He turned to Wilson.

"Just so we're all on the same page here...this kind of crap is _not_ okay. We have kind of a code of honor in this house..."

"And you just violated every part of it!" Hermann finished the Lieutenant's sentence for him.

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The locker room door slammed open.

"Why am I the only one in the briefing room?" Boden's voice boomed across the room.

Chief stepped into the fray, and eyed each man one by one.

"Get changed out..." he said.

His stare came to rest on his Lieutenants...and his candidate.

"We'll continue this in my office."

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Casey and Severide both changed in record time and they did the fastest roll call in Station 51's history.

Boden sat behind his desk, leaning forward on his elbows, staring evenly at Wilson...who was squirming in his chair like a little boy who had to use the bathroom.

"Now...somebody better tell me what the hell that was all about in there."

His eyes bored into Wilson.

"Well..." Wilson stammered. "I got home after shift...and my girlfriend was gone. I've been looking everywhere...calling all her friends, her family..."

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Severide and Casey shot each other a look of disgust. The guy couldn't tell the truth to save his life.

Veronica had told them how Trey had alienated her entire family...her mom, her dad...brothers, sister...cousins...even her grandmother. Then he had convinced her that _they_ were the ones standing in the way of their relationship. _They_ were threatening their happiness...and he made her choose.

It was the same story with all her friends. She hadn't spoken with anyone from her old life in over two years.

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But Wilson was just getting started.

"And then Lieutenant Severide comes in this morning and he knows where Roni's at...and I've been goin' outta my mind for two whole days..."

"Oh, please!" Severide interrupted. "Stop! Just...stop! My God...cut the bullshit for once in your miserable life!"

Kelly turned to Chief.

"He's conveniently left out the fact that he's been beating up on "Roni" for the last three years!"

"That's a pretty serious accusation, Severide." Boden said carefully.

But he knew Severide wouldn't make that kind of statement lightly.

Kelly nodded...

"But it's the truth." he said. ""Roni" is the girl that's been comin' into Alyssa's store for the past few months. Lyssa picked up that she was in trouble...and she tried to tell me after Lexi's party. But I didn't wanna hear it. I told her she was wrong."

He paused to take a breath.

"And then when I got home after shift, Veronica was at my kitchen table. She went into the store with a black eye...and Lyssa brought her back to our place."

"It's all true, Chief." Casey said. "She told us everything."

"You two should've called me..." Boden replied tersely.

"We were planning to talk to you right after briefing." Casey told him.

"Yeah..." Severide agreed. "Chief...the girl's an absolute wreck."

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Boden leveled his stony glare at Wilson once more.

"Not that there's any excuse for that kind of behavior..." he said. "But what do you have to say for yourself?"

"Look...I don't know what she told them..." Wilson began.

"Oh...you are _not_ gonna put this all on Veronica." Severide snapped. "I've _seen_ her...I've seen what you _did_ to her. So at least you can act like a man and admit what you did!"

Wilson sank back in his chair and hung his head.

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The ticking of the clock on the wall sounded like the pounding of a bass drum.

"All right." Boden said finally. "Here's what's gonna happen. Wilson...you're gonna get into some kind of program...counseling...anger management...whatever...and you're gonna get a handle on that temper of yours."

"Fine." Wilson agreed quickly. "Done."

Severide shot Casey a look...to see if he was buying this.

Casey looked about as wary as Kelly felt.

"Second..." the Chief continued. "You will earn back the trust of every man and woman in this house. I shouldn't have to tell you that trust is an essential part of this job. If you don't have it...you put not only yourself, but the entire company at risk."

"Yes, Sir."

Boden laid his hands flat against the desk top and pushed himself to his feet.

"We're all gonna be watching you very carefully, Wilson. You step even an inch outta line...and I will personally kick you to the curb so hard your children'll have my boot print tattooed on their asses. Dismissed."

Wilson slunk out the door with his head hung in shame.

Severide and Casey followed him out.

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No sooner had the three left the office, when Wilson turned on Kelly.

"I wanna see Veronica." he said.

Kelly was taken aback...but he managed to recover after a moment or two.

"No way in hell."

"You have no right to keep her from me!" Wilson said...his voice rising in anger.

Kelly raised his voice too.

"She doesn't want to see you!" he told the Candidate. "And if I catch you sniffin' around my house and my family...Chief Boden's gonna be the least of your problems! I'll make you regret the day you were ever born!"

And with that, Severide shoved past Wilson on his way out to the apparatus room.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

It was all coming apart. Everything he had worked for...was all coming down around him like a house of cards.

Trey Wilson paced back and forth across his tiny apartment like a caged animal. He felt like a prisoner in the basically three rooms...like he was suffocating.

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It had been that way ever since he found out that Lieutenant Severide had double-crossed him. For the past three weeks, Veronica had been living over there...instead of here...where she belonged.

What business was it of the Lieutenant's what Wilson did in the privacy of his own home? After all...a man's home was his castle, right? Severide's certainly was...

In fact, right now, that's where everyone was at.

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The Lieutenant had a bunch of private conversations with everyone...everyone except Wilson...and finally Wilson had to resort to eavesdropping to get the low-down. They were having another party.

He had finally overheard when Severide came up to Cruz in the common room and asked him to step outside.

"You're gonna get your wish..." Kelly was saying with a grin on his face.

"What's that?" Cruz asked.

"Another chance to eat Lyssa's cooking. The twenty-fourth...we're gonna have Lexi baptized...then have everybody back at the house."

"Isn't she a little old?"

Severide had rolled his eyes.

"We just adopted her, remember?" he said. "You knucklehead..."

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There were a few more words exchanged...and then Cruz headed to the locker room...while Severide turned to go back to the common room.

He saw Wilson standing in the doorway.

"What? Now we gotta teach you manners too?" he asked, shaking his head in disgust.

"Why're you havin' all these private conversations?" Wilson wanted to know. "Why didn't you just invite everyone after briefing?"

That's what he had done for the birthday party. After Boden finished his spiel, Severide just called out "Party...Saturday...three o'clock...my place."

"Private's kinda the operative word here." Severide told him with a scowl. "You know what it means? Look it up."

Kelly brushed past the Candidate.

"Were you gonna tell me about it?" Wilson asked. "About the party?"

Kelly turned and just gave him a look.

"I'm not invited? Why not?"

"I thought that was pretty obvious." Kelly said before he walked away.

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Wilson paced back and forth.

It wasn't fair. He was an important member of the team. As important as anybody else, right? He shouldn't be excluded just 'cause Severide said so.

They were family. Wasn't that what Hermann said?

He grabbed his keys and slammed the door behind him.

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He parked around the corner on Meade and almost as soon as he got out of the car he could smell the barbeques. Squaring his shoulders, and walking with a determined step, Wilson headed up the block toward Byron then turned right at the corner.

But as he got closer his confidence started to waver. The whole team was there. He recognized Casey's truck...and Clarke's...Mills' car...Cruz's...and Hermann's. Even the Chief was there. What would they say if he just walked into the yard?

What would Veronica say?

No doubt she was there. No doubt about it. What had she been doing in the past three...three and a half weeks? Had she changed?

Had she changed her mind about him?

He'd heard Severide tell some of the guys 'she's comin' along...it's slow...the guy really fucked with her head'. He'd heard that when he was hiding in the bathroom stall.

Wilson took a couple more steps then he stopped at the edge of the neighbor's drive. The party was in full swing. He could hear kids in the yard...prob'ly climbin' all over that stupid little fire truck.

So tacky...

He heard the men laughing...and for a second he wondered if the joke was about him. They sure wouldn't be laughing when they saw him. He could picture it in his mind's eye. The cold stony faces...Casey...Severide...Clarke...Hermann. Like Station 51's very own Mt. Rushmore.

Severide had told him not to come sniffin' around his house. And Wilson still remembered what it felt like when the Lieutenant slammed him into the lockers.

The Lieutenant was pretty strong...and pretty fast. He didn't think Severide would make good on his threat to kick his ass...to make him regret the day he was born. But he did worry about gettin' dinged and failing his Candidacy. Severide could do that...would do it in a heartbeat. And if he didn't do it personally...he could get Casey or Chief to do it easy.

He couldn't risk it. Not when he had come so far. Trey Wilson knew he'd never wanted anything more in his life...now that he'd finally found something he was good at.

So he turned around and headed back toward his car.

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Station 51 was starting to feel like a pressure cooker.

The men were congregated in the common room. Hermann looked around, checking over his shoulder, making sure their Candidate wasn't snooping around.

"Lieutenant..." he said. "How long are we gonna keep goin' like this? Can't the brass transfer him to another house?"

"Yeah." Cruz agreed. "Make 'im somebody else's problem."

"It's just not a good fit." Hermann went on.

"Look guys..." Casey said. "I don't want him here anymore than you do. But if we cut 'im loose or ship him to another house...we can't keep an eye on him."

"And that's no good for Lieutenant Severide." Mills added. "He's still got Veronica stayin' at his house. And there's Lyssa and the kids..."

"If we transfer Wilson he might end up workin' a different rotation." Clarke pointed out.

"He's right." Casey nodded. "If we're all here and he's workin' Red or Gold watch...what's to stop him from just going up and ringin' the doorbell?"

"All I know is I can't stand the sight 'a him." Hermann said, crossing his arms over his chest in disgust.

"We're right there with you." Casey said.

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"Engine 51...Truck 81...Ambulance 61...Squad 3...Structure fire 3426 W. Leland..."

Squad 3 pulled out behind Truck 81.

"When the hell did this happen?" Capp wanted to know.

The wind had kicked up something fierce...trees were practically bending over...flags and signs were whipping all around.

"Oh...this is gonna be fun..." Clarke said sarcastically as they sped to the scene.

Oh yeah...fun. Nothing like fighting a fire in forty mile an hour winds.

They pulled up in front of a three story apartment building...it looked like there were maybe six or eight apartments...and flames were shooting out a third floor side window on the west side...way in the back.

There was black smoke pouring out from the second floor as well.

Whatever this was had a head start.

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"Capp...Mills...start on two..." Severide ordered. "Clarke...you and me'll go up to three."

The men geared up and went in the front.

The brick facing on the building made the situation look far more benign that it was. This was an old building...maybe seventy five...maybe even a hundred years old. The staircase had varnished wood banisters and cheap carpet up the center that probably hadn't been cleaned since the seventies. The baseboards and the hardwood floors were that same varnished wood and the green paint on the walls was blistering and falling away in chunks when the men brushed against it.

The smoke was thick and visibility was down to maybe six inches if they were lucky.

"What'd I tell you?" Clarke said over the radio. "Fun."

Severide didn't answer.

Instead he got lower as they approached the top floor.

He stopped at the door to the left of the stairs.

This was where the fire was.

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The door was blistered and it shattered when Kelly kicked it in.

"Get down!" he yelled as a flame shot out into the hall.

Over the roar of the fire he heard a sound...a scream. More than one.

Crouching as low as he could he crawled under the flames licking high on the door and the ceiling. They were in a dining room...and the heavy curtains were burning from floor to ceiling. Chunks of plaster were falling around them, igniting the table...the china cabinet...the silk tree in the corner.

God only knew what toxic fumes they were emitting.

"Fire Department!" he yelled. "Call out!"

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Casey and his men had taken the east side of the building where things weren't quite as hairy.

Lots of smoke...but very little in terms of flame.

But they all knew that could change in the blink of an eye.

They started on the third floor.

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Outside the door to the third floor apartment, Casey turned to Wilson.

"You stay close." he told him. "If I stop...you better run into me."

Yeah, yeah yeah...it was the same thing every time they went out. If Casey stopped suddenly...Wilson would have to be surgically removed. It was getting old.

Casey kicked in the door.

"Fire Department! Call out!"

"Here!" a voice cried. "In here!"

The two firefighters worked their way to a bedroom off the dining room.

There they found a young man...probably in his twenties...lying on the bed.

"I can't get up!" he screamed. "I had back surgery!"

Casey slid one arm under the man's shoulders.

"Wilson! Get his legs!"

The man screamed again when they moved him...but they couldn't stop to worry about that. Once they had him more or less upright they threw his arms over their shoulders.

The situation outside had become even more untenable. Choking black smoke was filling the hall, decreasing visibility by the second. Another minute or so and they wouldn't be able to get the victim down the stairs.

"Chief!" Casey called out over the radio. "We need the ladder outside the front window on the east side!"

"Negative." Chief replied. "Winds are too high."

"We've got no choice!" Casey hollered.

Silence.

Then he heard Chief give the order.

"Raise the aerial!"

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On the west side of the building Severide and Clarke made their way down a narrow hallway toward the rear of the apartment. Left hand on the wall, Kelly came to a closed door. And behind it he heard someone crying.

He forced his way in and found himself in a tiny bathroom...like the one in the apartment he and Lyssa had lived in when they first got together. And in that bathroom he found a young woman, barely out of her teens with two small children...a boy and a girl...and a large dog.

The panicked woman had taken her kids and the dog and gotten into the tub.

Clarke was right behind him.

"What's outside that window?" he hollered.

Severide forced the narrow window open and stuck his head out. There was an alley way...and barely even that. Maybe five feet wide if they were lucky. They might be able to get a ladder in there..._might_.

There was another building next door. So close he could practically reach out and touch it. But there was no window to line up with, so they couldn't bridge the gap with a ladder...and no way were those two kids gonna crawl across...never mind the dog.

"Chief...get two men on the roof of the next building! We're gonna need harnesses and ropes!"

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On the east side Casey had shut the front door to keep the smoke from spilling into the apartment and Wilson broke out the windows in the tiny living room.

Moments later the aerial appeared.

"Wilson, you first." Casey ordered.

Wilson crawled through the shattered window onto the ladder and backed down a couple rungs.

"Okay..." Casey said to the young man. "Out you go..."

"I can't!" he cried. "My back!"

"There's no other way!" Casey told him. "Wilson'll take you down...I'll be right behind you."

"But..." the guy protested.

Matt lifted the man over the window ledge and shoved him feet first between the beams.

"AAAHHH!" he screamed. "AAAHHHH! My back! AAAHHH!"

Over and over he kept shrieking.

"Shut up!" Wilson snapped impatiently. "Just...climb down! I'm not gonna let you fall!"

Slowly the two backed down the ladder rung by rung...the man crying in pain the entire way down.

Casey followed behind them.

"You're doing fine..." he said. "Just a couple more feet."

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When they finally reached the base of the aerial the two firefighters lowered him down onto the waiting gurney and Shay and Dawson rushed the still screaming patient to waiting ambulance.

But they didn't even have time to catch their breath.

"Casey...Wilson...get up to the roof and help with those lines!"

Casey followed up to where Chief was pointing and he saw Mills and Capp on the roof of the building next door hurriedly tying off ropes and fastening harnesses.

"On it, Chief!" He said. "Wilson! Let's go! Get the lead out!"

He took off at a dead run, with Wilson reluctantly jogging behind.

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Inside the bathroom both Severide and Clarke shed their SCBA tanks and got into the harnesses Capp and Mills had lowered down.

"Okay..." Clarke said. "Gimme a kid!"

Severide handed over the boy and Clarke hooked him to the front of his harness. They looked like a disproportioned octopus as Clarke climbed out the narrow window and the men lowered them down.

As soon as his feet hit the ground, Otis was waiting to take the child to a waiting ambulance.

And Clarke unhooked himself from the line and ran for the ladder to climb back up to the roof and help.

The men lowered Mills down and as soon as his face appeared in the window, Kelly passed the little girl to him...and the process was repeated.

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Now he had to make a quick decision. He couldn't leave two full air tanks behind so he quickly tied them to a line and sent them down next.

Then he turned to the woman.

"C'mon...you're next." he said.

"No!" she cried. "Take Mr. Bubbles first!"

She shoved the dog toward Kelly.

The dog.

"Ma'am..."

"Please...my husband loves that dog! He'll never forgive me if something happens to him!"

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Up on the roof Capp was ready to go down next...but Wilson got himself into a harness and shoved right past Capp and clamped himself to the line.

"Hey!" Capp yelled as the rookie went over the edge.

Capp glared at Casey...who just put up his hands.

Wilson repelled down the side of the building and swung over to the bathroom window, ready to take the next victim.

Lieutenant Severide wrestled a Great Dane out the window into the rookie's waiting arms.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Wilson shouted.

What the hell? A _dog_? He was rescuing_ a dog_?

"Go!" Severide ordered.

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Easier said than done.

Wilson could barely contain the animal and when it swiped at him with its giant paws he seriously thought about dropping it. But he fought on...arching his back away from the huge teeth that seemed to be coming straight for his face.

That and the dog seriously needed a breath mint.

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Inside the apartment, Severide turned back to the young woman.

"Okay...let's go!"

And not a moment too soon.

Flames were bleeding through the cracks in and around the door frame. Any second now the fire would blow in and swallow them whole.

Severide attached the woman to himself and climbed out the window, pulling her right behind him. The wind picked up again and the narrow space between the two buildings created a wind tunnel. Kelly could barely control the line as it whipped around him, catching him and the victim...sending them careening into the bricks.

He swung his body around at the last second taking the full impact himself so the woman didn't get hurt. The wind carried them to the other side of the narrow alley and he hit the wall a second time...and then a third before his feet touched the ground and Cruz and Otis grabbed the victim and carried her to the ambulance.

As he unhooked himself from the line and shrugged off his harness, Kelly couldn't help but think that he was gonna be really sore in the morning.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

It was like night and day...going to a fire and coming back to Station 51.

When the bells went off...everybody was moving...the adrenaline flowing...they were all ready for battle.

When they pulled back into the house, everybody was moving...barely.

Especially Severide. When he climbed down from Squad three he was moving like a man twice his age. Already he was starting to stiffen up from his little adventure of slamming into brick walls while dangling from a rescue line in forty mile an hour winds.

He just prayed the rest of the shift would be quiet...and morning couldn't come soon enough.

The men peeled off their gear and headed for the locker room.

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After a shower and a change of clothes Kelly felt slightly more human. Maybe something to eat would help that along...then he could tackle his after action report.

When he stepped into the common room he was surprised to find his nephew Declan behind the counter in the kitchen area slicing loaves of crusty bread.

And on the stove were a very familiar looking ten gallon stock pots.

"What's goin' on?" he asked.

Declan looked up from his task.

"Hey, Uncle Kelly..." the boy said.

Some of the other men came in behind Severide.

"Oh...don't tell me..." Mills breathed. "Thank you, thank you...thank you!"

Alyssa had sent dinner.

Mills went to the stove and lifted the lid off one of the pots.

His mouth watered as he inhaled the onions and garlic and red wine...

"Beef Burgundy..." he said, as he put the lid back.

"Yes!" Cruz gave a fist pump.

"God bless that woman..." Hermann said.

Kelly couldn't help but smile. Nothing like his wife's home-cooking...

"So how'd Aunt Alyssa get you to make this delivery?" he asked.

Declan grinned.

"I was comin' over here anyway." he answered. "I've got my phlebotomy practicum on Monday and Shay and Dawson said they'd give me a few tips."

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The boy had graduated high school last spring...and graduated first in his class at the CPFTA. Now he was enrolled at Malcolm X College as a Paramedic student.

After that he was looking at an Associate's Degree in Fire Science at Harold Washington.

By the time he finished that...he'd be twenty one and able to apply to the Academy.

Chief Boden came to see what all the fuss was about.

"Declan!" he said with a huge smile.

He held out his hand to the young man.

"Good to see you!"

"Good to see you too, Sir."

"Captain Caffey called over here...he can't say enough good things about you!"

Declan had done his paid internship that past summer over at Station 8 on Cermack. It had been a good assignment...but it wasn't the same as serving at Station 51.

"They treated me real good over there...but...I don't know. It just wasn't "home"." Declan said.

"Well, we'll take ya back anytime." Hermann said. "It'll be a welcome change from the knucklehead we got now..."

There was an uncomfortable silence.

"So...are Shay and Dawson around?" Declan asked.

"They should be back any minute now." Kelly told his nephew.

Again...silence.

"Well...might as well make myself useful..." Dec said, as he wiped his hands on a towel.

"C'mon kid..." Hermann said, holding out his arm. "Whaddya say we go hang some hoses for old time's sake?"

The older firefighter patted the kid on the back and steered him off toward the apparatus room. They had to get the wet hose lines off the truck, haul 'em up to the top of the tower and hang 'em to dry.

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Chief, Severide and Mills watched them go.

"That kid's gonna make a helluva firefighter..." Chief said.

It was the truth. Declan had wanted to be a firefighter ever since Kelly had met him over a dozen years ago. He'd gone through a bad time when he was burned over thirty-seven percent of his body after he saved his mom and two brothers the night his house nearly burned to the ground...he'd suffered nightmares and panic attacks long after his physical injuries had healed. The poor kid thought he'd never be able to live out the only dream he'd ever had.

But the team had all banded together and helped him through it. He worked a couple of shifts with Kelly...rode along on the Truck and on Squad. He'd hung around the house sweeping up and doing whatever jobs the men gave him. And then when he was sixteen Station 51 had sponsored his admission to the CPFTA.

And Kelly couldn't have been any prouder if it was one of his own boys.

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Out in the apparatus room, Wilson was grumbling as he wrestled the wet line off the truck.

It was a real one-eighty since the early days of his Candidacy, when he was so gung-ho about the job, his prospects, everything. Now he felt like he could just bust his ass...and Lieutenant Severide would find some was to hold him back.

"Hey, can I give you a hand?"

Wilson turned around to see a young guy in his late teens...maybe early twenties...behind him.

Who the hell was this guy?

"I'm Declan Boungiovanni." he said holding out his hand.

Wilson took it warily...waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Hermann grunted in disgust.

The difference between these two couldn't be more apparent.

"Declan just graduated from the CPFTA last spring...he was here as an intern summer before last."

"Pleased to meet you." Wilson said, not really meaning it.

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The two worked side by side, hauling the hoses up five flights of stairs to the top of the tower, hanging them by the giant hooks, and shaking them out so they'd dry. Then they dragged the dry hose down to the apparatus room floor and started rolling it to pack on the truck for the next run.

"So, how do you like it here at 51?" Declan asked, trying to make small talk.

Wilson shrugged.

"They're a hard bunch..." he said. "Hard to get close to...you know?"

Declan shook his head. He didn't know. The men and women of this house were like a second family to him...and he couldn't wait till he could honestly say he was a fully fledged member of that family.

"The lieutenants..." Wilson went on..."They're always ridin' me. Casey doesn't trust me to do anything by myself...except maybe scrub the johns. And Severide...he's a real sonofabitch."

Declan stopped what he was doing.

"I have no idea what you're talkin' about. You got these guys all wrong."

"You're just a kid. They were prob'ly takin' it easy on you." Wilson told him with certainty. "Wait till you're a real Candidate."

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But Declan couldn't let Wilson's last comment go.

"You do know Lieutenant Severide's my uncle, don't you?"

No...he didn't know.

"He's like a second father to me." Declan said. "I wouldn't be where I am today if it wasn't for Uncle Kelly."

He stood up.

"Excuse me..." the young man said, as he went back to the common room.

Back to the family.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

Kelly came in through the four seasons room like he always did...and he could smell fresh Cinnamon Bread just out of the oven.

It was the first crisp morning they'd had...and Lyssa was making the kids oatmeal when he stepped into the kitchen.

"Hey..." he said.

She turned to the sound of his voice and smiled.

He held out his arms and Alyssa stepped into his embrace.

Kelly groaned a little when she hugged him tight. He _was_ really sore this morning. As he'd changed into his street clothes it didn't surprise him in the least that his shoulders and one spot across his back were bruised from crashing against the brick walls of those two buildings.

"You okay?" Lyssa asked.

"Yeah..." he said, knowing she'd be all worried. "Yeah...just a little...beat up."

He leaned down to kiss her before she could ask anything else.

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Then he heard a 'bump...bump...bump' coming down the stairs.

"Daddy!" Lexi shouted from the door way.

Kelly looked up to see his little girl still dressed in her pink pajama's with the bunnies on the feet.

"Lexi!' he said. "How'd you get out of your bed?"

God help him if she'd figured out how to climb out of the crib.

"An-nee get me !" she said happily.

So Andy was the one who sprung her...they'd have to have a talk about that.

The padding on the bottom of her feet slapped the hardwood floor as Lexi ran over to Kelly. She crashed against his leg and wrapped her arms around it.

He chuckled as he bent down to pick her up.

"Oh my God...you're gettin' so big!" he said.

It was true. Despite the two and a half year age difference, she was catching up to Maggie inch by inch. But whereas Maggie was on the lower end of the growth percentiles...Lexi was right near the top.

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Kelly leaned in to kiss Alyssa once more.

"I'll go see what's going on upstairs..." he said.

He switched the baby over to the other arm and started for the dining room...headed for the stairs.

"Wonicka telled us 'tories." Lexi said. "Yots and yots 'a 'tories."

"What kinda stories?" Kelly asked as he climbed the stairs.

"Pin-cess 'tories! 'Bout Pin-cess Maggie and Pin-cess Wexie!"

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In her room Princess Maggie was hiding under the blanket and Jesse was trying to coax her out.

It was a big switch from the baby who used to get up with the birds every morning.

"C'mon Maggie!" he said, pulling at the covers. "It's time to get up."

"No!" came a voice form under the blanket. "Go 'way!"

"If you don't get up...Andy's gonna eat all your breakfast!"

Kelly stopped in the door way.

"Hey...Jess..." he said. "Go get yourself ready. I'll handle this."

Happy for the relief, Jesse hustled out the door...and Kelly managed to ruffle his hair as he ran past.

Behind him he heard...

"Hey!"

As Jesse opened the door to his room.

"It's my room too!" Jesse said.

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Kelly waited a moment to see if there was anything else said...then he set Lexi down and went over to the bed.

One quick yank on the covers and Maggie was out.

"Daddy!" she cried as she tried to get them back.

"Uh-uh..." he told her as he plucked her up off the mattress. "Time to get ready for school."

He set Maggie on her feet.

"Go to the bathroom...brush your teeth..."

Rubbing her eyes and grumbling to herself the little girl stumbled out of the room.

While he changed Lexi's diaper and got her dressed he could hear Maggie splashing in the sink.

"Maggie Grace!" he called. "No time for playin'! Come get ready!"

What was she gonna be like next year when she had to go to kindergarten?

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Veronica was helping Alyssa get breakfast on the table when Andy and Jesse came thundering down the stairs with Kelly and the girls right behind.

While the family ate their breakfast the twins chattered on excitedly about the announcement Father Joe had made at the assembly yesterday about try-outs for the sixth grade basketball team coming up in two weeks. They were sure they'd both make the team...especially after all the stuff they learned at basketball camp.

They couldn't wait.

"Dad?" Andy wanted to know. "Will you work on free throws with me after school?"

"Me too..." Jesse added.

"Sure..." Kelly answered.

But the last thing he wanted right now was to play basketball.

Oh well...maybe after he stood under a hot shower and had Alyssa cover every inch of him with Asper-cream...

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Veronica was planning to go work in the store...she'd started doing that in the past couple of weeks. And Alyssa was talking to Father Paul, the new pastor, about possibly finding some money in the budget to hire her as a manager.

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After the boys left for school and the little girls went into the living room she and Alyssa started to clean up the dishes.

Kelly leaned back in his chair sipping his coffee.

"So what happened?" Alyssa asked. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah..." he said, setting his mug down. "We had a call yesterday...big apartment fire. Me 'n Clarke had to take some people out a bathroom window on ropes. The wind made things pretty interesting."

"Did you get hurt?"

"I just got knocked around a little." he told her. "Nothing serious."

"Was Trey okay?" Veronica asked softly.

She was starting to come out of her shell more, especially around the kids. But whenever she brought up Wilson...it was like taking two big steps back.

Kelly's jaw hardened into a line.

Wilson was still a real sore spot...no pun intended. For some reason he'd decided that Kelly was to blame for taking Veronica away and for how bad things were down at the firehouse and in his life in general.

And it was getting old, at least as far as Kelly was concerned.

"He's fine." Severide replied tersely. "Casey's keepin' him on pretty short leash. He's not gonna get in any trouble."

"Does he ever ask about me?" Veronica wanted to know. "Does he..."

She wasn't sure what to ask.

Did he miss her? Did he ask to see her? Did he still want her?

"Yeah...he asks about you." Kelly told her.

That was basically the truth. Every shift...at least once...the Candidate came up to him and said he wanted to see Veronica...to talk to her...and Severide had no business keeping her from him.

Kelly had stopped answering.

"He asks about you every time we work." he said.

Veronica shrunk back a little...and Kelly couldn't read her expression. Was she happy? Sad? Scared? He had no idea.

He'd have to ask Alyssa later.

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He was still thinking about it when he walked down the block with Maggie on the way to school.

Kelly grimaced a little as his Baby Girl tugged on his arm as she skipped along beside him.

Long...hot...shower...he promised himself. As soon as he got home. Veronica could hopefully entertain Lexi for a little while so he and Alyssa could get some alone time...

"Daddy?"

Maggie's voice cut into his thoughts.

"Hmmm?"

"How long Veronica gonna live at our house?" she asked.

"I don't know. Why?" he said.

"I jus' wants to know...dats all."

"How long do you want her to stay?"

Maggie broke into a big grin.

"Forever!" she said. "Forever an' always!"

Kelly smiled at his daughter's enthusiasm.

"How come, Baby Girl?"

"'Cause she makes up stories! Veronica tells us stories 'bout Princesses and pirates...and mean witches!" Maggie gushed. " An' pretty little girls who live in a 'partment over a canny store! An' sometimes we act 'em out wif our dolls! Is like havin' our very own story book lady!"

That's what Maggie called the woman who led the children's story hour at the bookstore.

"Well..." Kelly said. "I don't know if she'll live with us forever and always...but she's always gonna be our friend."


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

It had been over a month since Veronica had moved out...and Wilson was done wallowing in his own self pity.

It was high time he got on with his life. He was due for something good.

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Things were still bad at work.

Casey and Severide were all over him like white on rice. Any little mistake he made...one...usually both of them were right there. Hermann and Clarke wouldn't even speak to him...Mills, Otis, Cruz...and all the rest of 'em...they didn't speak unless spoken to. There was no conversation...no camaraderie...no busting one another's balls.

At least not when he was in the room.

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Trey took a quick shower...shaved...and slipped into a new black shirt and dark wash jeans. He splashed a little cologne on...not too much...just enough. He checked his look in the mirror. He should do just fine tonight.

All he had to do was say the magic words.

I'm a firefighter.

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Kelly stepped out of the shower and reached for a towel. He wrapped it around his waist and stepped up to the sink.

He had a date with his wife tonight. The first time since Veronica had come to live with them...

They hadn't really planned it, but Andy and Jesse were having a sleepover with Connor at Nicky's house...and Kevin and Danny Riordan were coming all the way from Homewood. They were looking forward to it.

Tomorrow they were having Kyle and Amy over for dinner when they came to pick up the boys...and Alyssa would be cooking all day. So when Veronica offered to watch the girls so Kelly and Alyssa could go out...he had jumped at the chance.

He grabbed clothes from his closet...a black button down and a pair of jeans...and crossed the room to the bed.

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Lyssa was just zipping up her boots and then she stood up and smoothed her skirt.

She turned to her husband...and Kelly raked her over with his eyes.

It was hard to believe she'd be turning forty-four in a few months...or that she'd had three kids.

Kelly closed the space between them and laid his hands gently on her shoulders. He ran them down the sleeves of her black and red silk blouse then he moved to her sides as he came to span her tiny waist.

He slid down over her hips and around to her behind.

"We could skip dinner..." he suggested in a low voice. "And go straight to dessert."

"Nice try, Severide." she told him. "You should know by now...I'm not a cheap date..."

Kelly had to laugh.

His wife was the most laid back, no frills woman he'd ever known. She was just as happy with a beer and a burger at the corner pub as she was at a classy restaurant. Probably even more so.

And she was even more beautiful now than on the night they met...if that was even possible.

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Trey started in a little bar he used to frequent a few years ago...when he first got to Chicago. It was a little hole in the wall...but they had good beer...good whiskey.

He strode up to the bar and checked out the scene. Not too much action for a Saturday night. Mostly guys...a few girls.

"Jack and Coke..." he told the bartender.

He looked around again. There were three girls sitting over in a corner booth. The blonde was cute...the redhead was hot...and the dark haired chick must be the ugly friend.

The bartender set his drink down in front of him.

Maybe after a little liquid courage he'd be able to go talk to the blonde...maybe even the redhead.

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"Kelly...you hardly touched your food." Alyssa said, laying her hand over his. "Do you not like it?"

Normally Kelly ate...well...like a fireman. For him to leave more than half a steak on his plate...something was definitely not right.

He took his napkin from his lap and laid it beside his plate.

"I just couldn't take my eyes off this gorgeous woman sitting across from me..." he said with a wolfish grin.

Alyssa rolled her eyes.

A dozen years of marriage had never had an adverse effect on his appetite.

"Seriously, Honey...what's goin' on? Something at the firehouse?"

Kelly got up from his side of the booth and came around to sit beside his wife. She slid in a little to give him some room...and he draped his right arm around her shoulders...then reached across the table to take her left hand in his.

She knew him so well.

"It's been pretty intense...Wilson's really makin' things uncomfortable for everybody. He just...won't own up to what he did."

"Did you really expect him to?" Alyssa asked quietly. "I mean, from what Veronica's told me, he sounds like the most Narcissistic person in the world. He had her convinced that the only thing she should worry about was pleasing him."

"I don't know." Kelly said. "Hermann says he's like a little kid. He's always lookin' for someone to tell him he did good...like...'Hey Dad? Did you see me? Did you see what I did?' Even the twins are past that."

"I think he's prob'ly very insecure...and he's looking for validation that he's doing good."

Kelly reached across the table for his water glass and took a drink.

He didn't want to waste a date night with Alyssa talking about Trey Wilson.

"Well, he can take his 'Daddy' issues somewhere else..." he said. "And enough about Wilson. This is the first time we've been out by ourselves in over a month. Tonight's all about us...and I've got some ideas for what we can do later."

Alyssa giggled softly.

Kelly always had ideas about what they could do later.

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Wilson had decided to move it on over to Rush Street...where the action was. He wasn't getting anywhere in that little neighborhood bar.

He'd been watching these three girls...the one he'd settled on was a blonde. He'd decided against the redhead because she was probably stuck-up...like most pretty girls are. They know every man in the place is looking at them and they just toy with em'.

The brunette wasn't bad looking...but she was definitely not in her friend's league...not by any stretch. She was a little on the heavy side...she wore glasses...had her hair was frizzy in the back. Not put together at all.

So the blonde. She was pretty in a more conventional way...nice shape to her...perfectly straight hair. She wore a deep green top...kinda on the long side with a wide brown belt cinched around her waist. When she got up to go to the restroom, he saw her long, shapely legs in her dark wash skinny jeans.

He ordered a shot. Straight Jack...no Coke...and downed it in one swallow. Then he got up from the bar and walked toward the back...where the restrooms were...to intercept the blonde as she came back to rejoin her friends.

There she was!

Trey stepped in front of her and opened his mouth to speak.

"Excuse me..." the blonde said.

His mouth was dry...he felt the sweat forming on his forehead and around his collar.

"Excuse me..." she said again.

He quickly stepped out of her way and watched her back getting further and further away.

'Idiot!' he cursed himself. 'Fucking idiot!'

And he retreated to the men's room to regroup.

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He walked into Bar of Chicago...

It was a young crowd...mostly college kids if he had to guess...but probably some recent grads. Maybe even some young professionals.

It was a big crowd...and Trey wove through the maze of patrons to find his way to the bar. AC/DC was blasting through the speakers and a few people...mostly girls... were gyrating to the beat.

He took his beer...and moved away from the bar so the crush of people behind him could get their orders in.

Over in an open spot on the floor, three girls were dancing...and one brave guy...or maybe one drunk guy...slid up behind this one girl. He got really close and started to move with her...getting his hips going in the same rhythm as hers. Then he tapped her on the shoulder...and when she turned around he leaned in to say something.

Whatever it was must have done the trick...because the girl draped her arms around him and pressed up against him. The guy began grinding on her...and she was loving every minute.

Or so it seemed at least.

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Trey took another swallow of his beer and looked around the room again.

"Hi..."

He turned to the voice on his left. It belonged to a dark haired girl...and when she smiled at him it took his breath away.

She was quite possibly the most beautiful girl he had ever seen...she put the redhead from the other bar to shame.

This girl was tall...maybe six feet. But she probably had heels on. She wore a black corset style top that accentuated everything one would want accentuated...and rightly so. Her white jeans looked like they were painted on.

"Hi..." she said again. "Why don't you buy me a drink...and we can get to know each other?"

She had beautiful eyes...high cheek bones...and a perfectly shaped mouth. There was not a single flaw he could see.

And she was talking to him.

"What's your name?" she asked.

"Trey..." he answered, his voice cracking.

He quickly cleared his throat.

"Trey." he said again. "My name's Trey."

The girls smile got even bigger...and her eyes twinkled.

"I'm Cameryn..." she introduced herself. "Now how about that drink?"

His breath was coming hard and fast...and his heart was pounding so loud he thought everyone must be able to hear it over the music.

He couldn't. He couldn't do it.

"I'm sorry." he stammered. "I'm sorry...but I gotta work tomorrow."

He set his half finished beer on the ledge behind him and quickly walked toward the door.

Was he imagining it when he hear someone say 'jerk!' over the noise of the bar room?

He didn't think so.

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Kelly and Alyssa came home to a darkened house.

They passed Veronica's room...the door wasn't quite closed all the way. And they headed up the stairs.

Maggie and Lexi's door was wide open and they stopped inside to tuck the blankets a little snugger around their sleeping daughters.

Kelly leaned down to kiss Maggie's little head...then he crossed the room to where Alyssa stood at the side of Lexi's crib. He bent down to get her little baby...the one that always seemed to end up on the floor...and put it back in the bed.

He reached down and stroked Lexi's silky soft hair and then he turned to his wife and pressed a gentle kiss against her hair.

"C'mon..." he whispered.

They closed the door softly behind them and crept down the hall to their bedroom.

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The next morning when Severide entered the locker room to stow his bag in his locker he was more than a little disappointed to see Wilson sitting on the bench...waiting.

Totally ignoring the Candidate...as he had taken to doing...Kelly spun the combo on his lock and yanked the handle. He set his keys on the top shelf...and then his wallet. He set his bag on the bench and unzipped it...and took out his first uniform of the shift.

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He pulled his t-shirt over his head.

"Lieutenant?" Wilson began hesitantly. "Lieutenant...I wanna see Veronica."

Oh...God...it was the same thing...every shift.

But this time was a little different. The voice was different. Wilson wasn't trying to get in his face and demand to see the girl.

This time it sounded more like he was asking.

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"Lieutenant?"

"I heard ya..." Kelly snapped. "And the answer's still no."

He pulled his department issue polo shirt over his head and turned to the Candidate.

"You just don't get it, do you? What you did to her? The way you fucked with her head?" he said. "She doesn't want to see you. She's barely started to put the pieces back together..."

"I do get it!" Wilson cried desperately. "And there's no excuse for what I did to her! None!"

He licked his lips nervously.

"I'm goin' for counseling, Lieutenant." he said. "Two times a week. My dad used to hit my mom...and I guess I didn't think there was another way to be. He used to hit me too. I tried so hard to make him proud...but I just couldn't measure up."

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Severide crossed his arms over his broad chest.

Candidate was right about one thing...there was no excuse for what he did.

Kelly had grown up in a rough neighborhood...he didn't have his dad around ninety-nine percent of the time. And he'd seen the super in his building smack his wife and kids around. He didn't have any really great male role models...not after his Grandpa Kelly had passed away.

And never in his life had he ever raised his hand to a woman.

He'd said and done things he wasn't proud of...but he knew when to man up and admit he was wrong.

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"I'm trying to work through all this shit." Wilson said. "And I really need Veronica to know that. I really need to let her know how sorry I am...and that I'll do anything to make it right with her."

Kelly just gave Wilson a hard look...trying to decide if the kid was being truthful...or if he was just blowin' sunshine out his ass.

But before he could figure it out...the bells went off.

"Engine 51...Truck 81...Ambulance 61...Squad 3...Industrial accident."


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

That "industrial accident" turned out to be a foundation collapse at a construction site.

A twenty story office building was being erected...and the foundation of the southeast corner of that building crumbled...causing portions of the structure to cave in.

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Station 51 was the first company to arrive and Boden had a hurried conversation with the project manager in order to decide where to prioritize their rescue efforts.

Casey and Severide met Chief to figure out a plan of attack.

"I already called for two more companies." Chief said. "We're gonna have to divide and conquer."

He pointed to the collapsed corner.

"Severide...we got at least three men trapped. Two of 'em are pretty bad. There's not a lot of room to move...I'd suggest you take Mills with you."

"We're on it."

He went to grab his men.

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Capp and Clarke first lowered Mills...then Severide into a hole barely large enough for a grown man to pass through. Then they sent down the jump bags and some extra light.

Dawson stood poised to be lowered down...but Severide wouldn't let them.

"Negative! The structure's unstable!"

Mills was checking the first man's vital signs.

"Hey, man...what's your name?" he asked.

"Derek..."

"Hey, Derek...my name's Pete. Can you tell me where you're hurt?"

"My legs..."

But the man was wheezing as well.

"You havin' trouble breathing?" Mills asked.

"My asthma..." Derek answered.

Mills looked up the hole.

"Dawson! We need an inhaler down here!"

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Kelly checked another man...barely more than a kid...with bright copper hair...that was matted with blood. He grabbed a flashlight to try and get a better look.

"Looks like a scalp laceration." he said.

The kid seemed alert...his pupils reacted to light. Kelly took off his leather gloves and pulled a latex pair out of the jump bag. He reached in for a sterile dressing and opened it.

"Can you hold this on the wound?" he asked the kid. "Keep pressure on it."

Then he moved over to the third man.

"Hey..." he said. "Can you tell me where you hurt?"

"All over..." the man answered.

"Can you narrow it down for me a little?"

"Legs...back...chest..."

Severide didn't like the looks of this one. He was deathly pale...and he had beads of sweat dotting his forehead. Even through the gloves, Kelly could tell his hands were clammy.

This guy was going into shock.

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Back up top, Casey and his men were trying to free five men trapped in an elevator car.

They had to get up to the sixth level...because the thing was hanging somewhere between five and six.

"Otis...find the power and cut it off." Casey told him.

Then he looked at the situation.

"Let's get some lines to try and tie this off..."

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Down in the hole things weren't looking too good.

The kid was able to move, so Clarke and Capp sent down a harness and Kelly secured him in it. The two men hauled him up and that was one less victim to worry about.

Kelly was able to get an IV into his guy and start some fluids.

"What's your name, Buddy?" he asked.

"Walter..." the man answered. "What's yours?"

"Severide...Kelly Severide..."

"You gonna get me outta here, Kelly?" Walter asked.

"Soon as we can." Kelly promised.

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Dawson had lowered down O2 tanks and Kelly fitted Walter with a nasal cannula while Mills slipped a full mask over Derek's nose and mouth.

He checked the younger man's lungs...and he didn't like what he heard.

"Lieutenant..." Mills said. "We gotta move. Can we shore up these walls any to give us a little more stability?"

Kelly looked around the small, cramped space. There were a few hunks of twisted metal...nothing long enough to reach floor to ceiling...there were chunks of cement...and pieces of two by four in a hell of a lot more than two pieces.

He shot Mills a look and gave a small, almost unperceivable shake of his head.

"Hey Chief?" he said over the radio. "You didn't happen to call for another Squad, did you?"

"Squad 1 is en route." Boden replied.

Good. Reinforcements.

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"Okay, Lieutenant...power's off." Otis said over the radio.

"Okay..." Casey said. "Let's get some men down on five and we'll open the cage."

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Kelly turned back to Walter.

They had to get this guy out too. Kelly suspected he had internal bleeding somewhere and that any minute now things could turn irreversibly south.

"You know Friday's my last day..." Walter suddenly said.

"What?" Severide asked, not quite getting the connection.

"I'm retiring...thirty-nine years I been workin' fer this company."

"That's really something." Kelly said.

"The missus an' me...we got big plans." he went on. "We're gonna get one 'a them tricked out RV's...an' just go. Go see all the places we talked about goin' fer all these years."

Kelly felt a stab in his gut. Even if they got Walter out in one piece, it was gonna be a helluva long time before he went anywhere.

And those odds were getting shorter by the minute.

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"Lieutenant!" Mills called out. "I need you over here!"

"I'll be right back!" Kelly said to Walter...who had begun to tell him all those places he and his wife were planning to visit.

Niagara Falls, the Statue of Liberty, see a Broadway show...The Grand Canyon, the Golden Gate Bridge.

He went over to where Mills had Derek sitting up as best he could.

"Whaddya got?" he asked.

"Full blown asthma attack." Mills told him. "I've given him three hits with the Albuterol...he's on ten liters of oxygen...and I'm still hearing wheezes. He's barely moving any air. We gotta get him out."

Kelly went to look at the hole gain.

He reached out to touch the edge, and he had to jump out of the way as another piece came off and almost hit him in the head.

He went back to Mills and said in a low voice...

"One inch in the wrong direction and we'll all be buried alive."

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Casey, Cruz and Wilson had made their way down to level five while Hermann stayed up on six with a bunch of Engine guys.

The team on five pried the gate to the elevator shaft open and one of the Engine guys got in on six to manually raise the door on the cage. Once they had that done, Casey's team could get them out.

"Okay...we're gonna pry these gates open and do a manual release." Casey said. "Otis...on my command...do a manual over-ride."

"Copy that..." Otis's voice came over the radio. "On your command."

Casey took a step back...surveying the task at hand...making sure he hadn't missed any steps.

"Wilson, hand me the Halligan."

Wilson stepped forward, tool in hand, ready to open the metal gate.

Casey held out his hand.

"I'll do it." he said.

Wilson reluctantly handed him the Halligan. The boss didn't trust him to do anything...

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Down below, things were getting desperate for the two injured men.

Squad 1 had arrived and Clarke had gotten down in the hole along with Mills and Severide.

"Hey...Walter..." Kelly said. "What else you got planned for that big trip?"

He was trying to keep the victim alert...because he could sense the older man was fading fast.

Mills was feverishly attending to Derek. He'd given him two rounds of Epi in an attempt to open his airway. They had to get him to the hospital within about half an hour so it was a race against time.

"We're gonna go out to Salt Lake...that's where our daughter moved...got three grandkids out there..." Walter gasped.

Kelly was working as fast as he could to brace and widen the hold so they could get carriers down there to lift out the injured men.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Walter was beginning to close his eyes.

"Don't go to sleep on me!" he said, a little bit louder. "How many kids you got?"

"Four..." Walter said.

"No kiddin'...me too." Kelly replied. "What're their names?"

"Tanya...Elizabeth...Danny...and Nina..."

"Three girls, huh? You're a good man...two' girls are almost more than I can handle..." Kelly said. "Tell me 'bout your wife...you haven't told me her name."

"Lydie...Lydia..." Walter whispered. "Been married forty-three years..."

"That's a long time. What's your secret?"

Walter was struggling to draw breath...and Kelly hurried back to his side.

"Hey...stay with me here." he said. "C'mon...what's the secret to bein' married forty-three years?"

"Never pass up...the chance...to tell your girl...how much...you love her..."

"That's good advice..."

Clarke was reaching through the shored up hole to grab a rescue carrier.

Thank God.

"Now let's get you outta here so you can tell Lydie how much you love her." Kelly said.

Capp dropped down into the hole and went to help Mills.

Clarke came up beside Severide and together they packed Walter into the basket.

"On three..." Severide said. "One...two...three."

They lifted the victim and carried him to the entrance. In no time at all they had the lines secured and Squad 1 started to haul Walter out of the hole. Severide and Clarke helped guide the basket as best they could...and Kelly just prayed they'd be able to get him to the hospital in time.

Then the two men went to help Mills and Capp get Derek out.

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Casey positioned the Halligan between the slats of the gate, and gave it a good tug.

The metal parted and he shoved the pieces further apart. Finally he reached up to the car...it was a little bit too high and he had to stretch for it. He got the tips of his glove on the lip...when suddenly the car jerked back up toward six!

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He started to pitch forward...and he tried to catch himself...but there was nothing to grab!

Next thing he knew, Casey found himself on the floor with Wilson on top of him.

What the hell?!

The two men rolled away from the elevator shaft and Wilson got to his feet. Then he held out his hand to the Lieutenant.

"Thanks..." Casey said, still a little dazed.

Then he reached for the radio.

"Otis! What the hell just happened?"

There was a cracking sound.

"The emergency generator musta kicked in!" Otis said. "It just caused a massive power surge! It fried everything!"

"So we've got no juice?"

"No juice." Otis confirmed.

"And Hermann..." Casey called out. "What's the situation up there?"

"I think we can get 'em out from here." Hermann's voice came over the radio.

"Okay...we've comin' back up!"

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The three firefighters trooped up to the sixth level and Casey look at the elevator shaft. The car was still stuck between the floors, but if they got the door open there was about a two and a half foot space the men inside could crawl through.

It was an iffy plan...but it would have to do.

Cruz and Hermann breached the gate and one of the engine guys used the acetylene torch to cut through the coils that held the door to the car shut. Once that was done the men in the car were able to push it up and Wilson and Casey tied it off so it would come crashing down on someone.

Then they lowered a rope through the opening and one by one...the team hauled five men out.

As they all made their way down the stairs Casey came up beside Wilson.

"Thanks..." he said again. "If you weren't so quick...they'd 'a been scraping me off the bottom of that elevator shaft.

"Anytime, Lieutenant." The Candidate replied.

Maybe...just maybe...he'd found a way back in.


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19**

"Are you serious, Kelly?" Alyssa asked incredulously. "Are you really buying that line about going to therapy twice a week?"

"That's what he said." Kelly replied impatiently.

After the construction job, once they had gotten back to the firehouse, Kelly had promised Wilson he'd talk to Veronica and see if she wanted to have anything to do with him.

But first he had to run it by Alyssa.

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"And you believe him? The guy obviously can't tell the truth to save his life!" she said. "He prob'ly doesn't even know the difference between 'real' and 'bullshit' at this point!"

"You may be right." Kelly said. "But I'm just saying we talk to her...see if she even wants anything to do with the guy."

And just as his wife was taking a breath.

"And let _her _make the decision." he said.

He saw the wind just go out of Alyssa's sails and he took a step closer, holding out his arms. Once she had stepped into the familiar comfort of his embrace, Kelly tangled his fingers in her long hair as he held her tight.

"I know, Baby." he said, placing a kiss atop her head. "I know...but Veronica's not one of our kids. She's an adult...and as much as we care about her...we gotta let her run her own life."

Lyssa looked up at her husband.

"When'd you get so smart, Severide?" she asked.

Kelly just grinned.

"You must be rubbin' off on me." he answered.

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When Veronica came into the kitchen, Kelly was suddenly struck by all the changes the girl had made in the six weeks or so that she'd been staying with them.

Alyssa had taken her to the place where she got her hair cut...and now Veronica's mousy brown hair was a honey blonde. She had it layered so it framed her face instead of just hanging there. She also had her nails done and bought a bunch of make-up.

The store had gotten a huge donation of clothing...and a lot of it was Veronica's size. So now she had several new pieces that complimented her figure and her complexion instead of just faded old jeans and shapeless t-shirts.

And in the past week or two, she'd begun talking to her parents again.

Kelly wondered if Trey would be able to accept all those changes...or if he would try and undo all the progress that had been made. For a minute or two he was seriously considering just not saying anything to the girl...and telling Wilson it was over.

But he'd just given Alyssa the whole song and dance about how they had to let Veronica make up her own mind...so he better listen to his own advice.

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Once Andy and Jesse had gone to school...and Alyssa took the girls upstairs to get ready...Veronica started to wash the breakfast dishes.

"Why don't you leave that for a minute?" Kelly said. "I need to talk to you about something"

She hesitantly edged her way over to the table and anxiously perched herself on the edge of a chair.

"Do you want your guest room back? she asked quietly.

"No..." he said. "We told you you were welcome to stay as long as you wanted."

He took a sip of his orange juice.

"I wanted to talk to you about Wilson. He's been asking about you right along...and he wants to see you."

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Veronica's hands began to tremble...and she hugged herself to hide the shaking.

"And what'd you tell him?" she whispered.

There's no way...Kelly thought to himself.

If just the mention of his name caused her to start shaking...seein' him would prob'ly give her a heart attack.

"I said I'd ask you how you felt about it." he said. "This is your decision. If you want me to tell him to go to hell, I'll do it."

"Why does he want to see me?"

Kelly was quiet for a moment...thinking about his conversation with Alyssa earlier. She didn't believe for one second that Wilson was going to change.

But Wilson seemed like he was turning over a new leaf down at the firehouse. He was back to his old 'jump right in', 'do anything' attitude.

And he had saved Casey from certain injury at that building collapse.

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Kelly answered her question carefully.

"He says he's been goin' for therapy...and working through a buncha stuff...issues and whatever. He says he knows there's no excuse for what he did to you...and that he wants to make it up to you."

"Do you believe him?" Veronica asked.

Kelly shrugged.

"I don't know. I _want_ to believe him." he answered honestly.

"I don't know..." she said. "Can I think about it?"

"Yeah." he said. "Take as long as you want."

She started to get up...holding onto the table for support till her legs stopped shaking.

"Veronica?" Kelly said.

"Yes?"

"Lyssa and I are here for you." he told her. "I just...wanna make sure you know that."

"Thank-you..."

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Later that afternoon Alyssa had gone to take Maggie to her tap dancing class and Kelly was spending a little quality time with Lexi.

"Whaddya wanna play, Sweet Girl?" he asked as he positioned himself on the living room floor.

"Fissie!" Lexi cried. "Go fissie!"

"You wanna go fishing?" Kelly said with a smile.

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Lexi was the strangest combination of a girly-girl and a tom-boy he had ever seen. On the one hand, she loved to play with cars and trains and fire trucks as much as she loved her dolls and her tea set...but on the other hand...all the cars and trains and fire trucks better be pink.

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The little girl popped up onto her feet and ran over to the bins they kept on a shelf in the corner and came back with one filled with magnetic fish and two little "fishing rods" with magnets on the ends. She dumped the bin in the middle of the floor and spread the fish out all over the rug.

Then she grabbed one of the fishing rods and ran over to a fish...dropped the magnet onto it...heard the "click" and yanked the fish into the air.

"I did it! I catch a fissie!" she laughed...obviously pleased with herself.

And she did a little happy dance she must have learned from Maggie.

Kelly laughed...because it was just so cute. Then he dropped the magnet of his "fishing rod" onto a fish that had landed right beside him.

"Look Lexi..." he said as he wound the reel...trying to show her how to do it. "Daddy got one too."

Lexi ran over and took the fish off the line and threw it back in the "pond".

"What'd you do that for?" he laughed. "That was a keeper!"

"No keeper!" Lexi told him.

Then she ran over to where Kelly's fish had landed and dropped her line. When she heard the click she yanked it up...

"Keeper!" she cried. "Keeper fissie!"

Kelly laughed even harder.

"You just wanna catch all the fish!" he said. "I see how this is gonna go...so what's Daddy supposed to do?"

She ran over to the shelf and rummaged in another bin. When she found the thing she was looking for she ran back over to Kelly and handed it to him.

"Dwive boat!" she told him.

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Veronica could hear the laughter as she approached the living room. She didn't want to interrupt whatever Kelly and Lexi were finding so funny...but she had been thinking.

Kelly said Trey had been going for counseling. He had always said he'd never be caught dead on any shrink's couch. That kind of thing was for pansies who needed someone to hold their hand and wipe their ass. If he was willing to take such a drastic step...that must mean he loved her...and was willing to do whatever it took to make their relationship work.

She had been considering a suggestion Alyssa had made...that she get some counseling...maybe this was something she and Trey could do together. Alyssa said she and Kelly went through a really bad time and they'd gone to a therapist. She said it was hard work...and it took a long time...but after that their relationship was stronger than ever.

That's what she wanted with Trey. They could be so happy together...if only they could learn to communicate better.

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She crept through the dining room.

She could hear Kelly and Lexi...

"What're you gonna do with all those fish, Sweet Girl?" he asked.

"Daddy eat 'em!"

"I gotta eat 'em?" he feigned surprise. "What if I don't want to?"

"Eat 'em!" she said.

"I don't wanna eat fish that comes outta this dirty lake!" he said. "Look...it's all brown!"

He pointed at the area rug that covered most of the hardwood floor and it was three or four different shades of brown.

"Yuck!" he told her. "Dirty fish..."

Veronica didn't hear what was said next...but the two started laughing all over again.

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As she reached the foot of the stairs she saw that Kelly was lying on his back holding Lexi straight up over his head and she was "flying"...and apparently loving every second.

She decided to go back to her room rather than interrupt this lovely father/daughter moment...but before she could turn around...

"Did ya need something?" Kelly asked, shifting "SuperLexi" in his grip so he could at least sit up.

Veronica turned back.

"What's up?" he asked again.

He set Lexi down and got to his feet.

Veronica stepped into the living room.

"I've been thinking about what you said this morning..." she began hesitantly.

"What about it?"

"I do wanna see Trey...to talk to him...but I'm scared. What if he doesn't like me changing my hair or something?"

'Then you tell him to go fuck himself...' Kelly thought.

But he waited to see what else the girl had to say.

"I wanna see him..." she went on. "But I want some other people around...so I was wondering..."

She looked up so Severide could finally see her face.

"Could he come over here? When you and Alyssa are home?" she asked. "I'd feel better if you guys were around..."

Kelly took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

It was a simple request...and not so terribly unreasonable. But at the same time...it was a lot to ask. He knew Alyssa wouldn't like the idea one little bit, and truth be told, he didn't want the guy in his house either.

And certainly not around his kids.

But he said...

"I'll talk to Alyssa...see what she thinks about it."

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"You've gotta be kidding me." Alyssa said when he told her about Veronica's request. "As far as I'm concerned the only way that guy's welcome here is if we're roasting a pig at our next barbeque! He could be the main course!"

"I don't like it either..." he told her. "But I understand why she wants other people around. I'd be a lot more nervous about her goin' off with him someplace."

"Kelly...I don't care that he's supposedly gotten his act together at the firehouse. I don't want that sonofabitch stepping one foot in our house!" she told him. "And I don't want him anywhere near our kids."

"Absolutely not..." Kelly agreed. "We'd get the kids outta the house. Send 'em with your folks...whatever. And we can ask Casey to be here...hell, we can ask your brother Nicky to be here."

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In the end, she had begrudgingly agreed...with a few ground rules. First of all, the kids could not be in the house. Second of all, the "couple" had to stay in the living room. And finally...any raised voices, harsh words, disparaging remarks...and Trey was outta there.

And Casey...and Shay had agreed to be there as well.

The next shift they worked, Kelly walked up to Wilson in the apparatus room.

"She said she'd talk to you." he told the Candidate. "Thursday afternoon, two thirty...my place. Take it or leave it."

"I'll take it." Wilson said. "I'll be there."


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20**

Thursday afternoon came and at two thirty on the dot Trey Wilson rang the Severide's doorbell.

Kelly answered it...and allowed the Candidate to step in to the dining room.

"Veronica's in the living room." he said, eyeing Wilson suspiciously.

The guy had obviously taken time with his appearance. He was sportin' a fresh haircut...so fresh you could still smell the talcum powder. And did he get a manicure?

He was carrying a huge bouquet of flowers...bright fall colors. That many blooms must've set him back fifty...sixty...maybe even seventy-five bucks.

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"I really wanna thank you for letting me come over, Lieutenant." Wilson said, just a bit too eagerly. "You and Mrs. Severide..."

"No problem." he said. "We'll be in the kitchen."

As Wilson eased his way toward the living room he noticed Lieutenant Casey standing in the kitchen doorway...and Shay was a few steps behind him.

'Nothing like performing for a full house'...he thought.

Somebody really must not trust him...and for a moment he had a panicked thought that it might be Veronica.

But there she was...standing beside the couch...wearing an outfit he'd never seen before. She had a new hair-do...and she wore make-up. Then she smiled at him with a nervous smile...and Trey could still see the girl he knew was in there somewhere.

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Kelly walked into the kitchen rolling his eyes.

"What?" Alyssa asked.

"The brown-nosin's gettin' a little hard to take." he replied.

"Keep me away from him then..." she muttered.

He crossed the room to stand in front of his wife and laid his hands on her shoulders before he pulled her close to him.

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Out in the living room Trey approached Veronica with trepidation.

"Here..." he said, holding out the massive bouquet. "I got these for you."

"Thank you...they're beautiful." she told him.

He took a step closer...and awkwardly leaned in like he was going to kiss her...and then at the last second gave her a little peck on the cheek.

"Why don't we...sit down?" she suggested.

The couple took a seat on the huge sectional sofa.

"This is really weird." Trey said with a grin.

Veronica smiled and giggled.

"You'd think it was our first date..." she said.

"I wasn't even half this nervous then as I am now." he told her. "You look beautiful...by the way."

"Thank you..." she said again.

"I love the new hair cut...and that's a pretty top."

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"How've you been?" she asked, changing the subject.

He bobbed his head from side to side...as if to say 'okay'.

"Things were pretty rough after you left...but it's getting a little better...at the firehouse, at least. At home...it's lonely." he told her. "How about you?"

"Same...it was rough at first...but it's getting a little better."

"What have you been doing?" he asked.

She shrugged.

"Lots of little things." she said. "Helping Alyssa around here...playing with Maggie and Lexi...and I started working at the store a few days a week."

"What store?"

"The one Alyssa and her sister-in-law run. Helping Hands. That's the little place I told you about. That's how I met her."

"Oh...I never made the connection." Trey said.

"She's been talking to the pastor over at St. Pasqual's...about getting some money in the budget to hire me as a manager." Veronica added. "So I might have a job."

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Out in the kitchen, Alyssa was moving from one thing to another. She was making hundreds of Halloween cookies...for the kids' class parties...for the neighborhood get together they had every year...and of course for the firehouse.

Shay was trying to help...and Kelly and Casey were wisely staying out of the way.

"I'd give anything to be a fly on the wall out there." Leslie said. "I'd love to know what kind of crap he's selling her."

"Amen to that..." Alyssa replied.

"You girls are too suspicious." Casey told them.

"Not suspicious..." Shay fired back. "Realistic. C'mon, how many times have we had to go out on domestic calls? These guys don't change."

"He says he's trying to get a handle on things." Kelly said. "And he's really turned it around at work."

"Just the fact that you're saying 'he says' makes me think you don't believe him." Shay said.

"I'm just saying we have to give him the benefit of the doubt." Kelly told her. "Besides...it's not any of our decision to make. We're just here for moral support."

"And security..." Shay added.

"C'mon...he's not stupid enough to try anything with the two of us here." Kelly said.

"My point exactly..." Leslie finished.

"Okay...this isn't getting us anywhere." Casey cut in. "So let's just agree to disagree on this."

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"So...Kelly told me you were talking to somebody..." Veronica said hesitantly.

She wasn't sure how Trey would react to her knowing something so personal...so intimate.

"Yeah...twice a week..." Trey replied, studying his hands intently.

"And...is it going okay?" she asked. "I mean...did you figure anything out?"

"A lot actually." Trey said, still looking at his hands. "I told you how things were when I was growing up. That my dad was a Navy man."

She nodded.

"You said that's why you joined."

"Yeah...that's all I ever wanted in this life...to be like him and have him be proud of me."

He drew a ragged breath.

"But...I just always kept fallin' short. He'd never say anything...he'd be like 'well, as long as you tried your best'...but I could see the disappointment in his face...hear it in his voice. And that hurt me more than anything physical ever could."

"You never told me..."

"Oh, he never laid a hand on me." Trey said quickly. "He didn't have to. It was all right there in his face. He was just...everything I could ever hope to be as a man...and I lived in fear that I would let him down. That I'd be an embarrassment to him.

"He'd be so ashamed of me right now. He's prob'ly turnin' over in his grave. He treated my mom like a queen. If he saw what I've done...what I've done to you..."

His voice broke, and he couldn't go on.

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Veronica's heart went out to him...and she hesitantly reached out and laid her hand on his knee.

"It's okay..." she said. "You're getting help now...that's the most important thing."

"But how can you ever forgive me?" he asked in a broken voice.

He had tears welling up in his eyes as he looked up from the floor.

"How can you ever love me again?"

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"Kelly? How long do you think this is gonna be?" Alyssa asked.

"I dunno...why?"

"Because I need to start dinner...and you need to go collect the kids." she said.

Maggie and Lexi were down at Joey and EmmaLynn's house...and the twins were across the street with Connor.

Kelly pushed himself back from the table where he an Casey had been "testing" all the broken pieces of cookie.

It was prob'ly just as well they wrapped things up...before he gained another ten pounds...he thought as he stood up.

He rapped his knuckles on the kitchen door.

"Hey, guys..." he called out. "I gotta go pick up the girls..."

Wilson got to his feet.

"That's okay, Lieutenant." he said. "I have to get going anyway."

He turned to Veronica.

"I actually have an appointment..." he told her.

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She walked him to the front door...and when she opened it, he leaned down and gave her a sweet kiss on her cheek.

"It was so good to see you." he said, pitching his voice so only she could hear. "I miss you, Beautiful."

Veronica could feel herself blushing...

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Kelly turned and went back to the kitchen.

"You better get used to it..." Casey told him. "Two girls...you're gonna have to beat the guys back with a Halligan."

"Maggie and Lexi aren't allowed to look at boys till they're at least thirty." Kelly said with certainty.

Casey just laughed.

"Yeah...good luck with that."

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Andy, Jesse and Connor were outside tossing the football around when Wilson came out of the Severide's house.

"Who's that guy?" Connor asked.

"It must be Veronica's boyfriend." Jesse said. "Dad said he was gonna come over and talk to her."

"Is he the one that beats her up?"

The twins just looked at their cousin.

"Where'd you get that from?" Andy asked.

"I heard Declan talking to my dad." Connor answered. "He said the guy was a real a-hole."

"When'd you hear it?" Andy wanted to know.

Surely his dad had to know about it...but why would he let the guy in their house? It didn't make any sense.

"Declan said the guy was talkin' bad about all the guys at the firehouse. He said he called Uncle Kelly an SOB...and Dec wanted to punch him."

Andy wanted to punch the guy.

Nobody with half a brain between their ears would say something like that about his dad.

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Kelly came around from the back and walked down the driveway.

He whistled loudly to get his sons' attention.

"Hey, guys!" he called. "Why don't you get your stuff and c'mon home? Uncle Matt and Aunt Leslie are here. I'm gonna go get your sisters."

"Okay, Dad." Jesse called. "We'll be right there!"

Kelly turned left at the end of his driveway and headed up Boyle toward his brother-in-law's place to rescue EmmaLynn from an afternoon with two toddlers, a pre-schooler, and a kindergartener.

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As the twins crossed the street Andy whispered to his brother...

"Do you think Dad's knows what that guy did? What he said about him?" he asked.

"I guess that's why Veronica moved in..." Jesse said. "But he can't know about that guy talkin' trash about him and all the rest of the guys. Otherwise he'd be pickin' up his teeth."

"Are we gonna tell him?" Andy wanted to know.

"I think we have to." Jesse said. "This is too important. That guy goes into fires with Dad and Uncle Matt and all the rest of 'em. If he hates 'em..."

"You're right." Andy agreed. "We've gotta tell him."

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After dinner was over, Alyssa was cleaning up the kitchen and Leslie had taken the girls upstairs for their bath. Kelly and Casey went into the living room and flipped on the TV to catch the San Diego/Denver game on ESPN.

The twins followed them.

"Dad? Can we talk to you?" Jesse asked.

Kelly flipped off the TV.

"Sure, guys." he said. "Whaddya need?"

The boys looked at each other. They hadn't decided what they were gonna say...or who was gonna get the ball rolling.

Then as usual...Andy took the lead.

"That guy that was here this afternoon...the one we saw leaving..."

"That was Wilson...he's the Candidate down at the station." Casey said.

"Is it true he hit Veronica?" Andy wanted to know.

"Where'd you hear that?" Kelly asked.

"Connor said he heard Declan say it to Uncle Nicky." Jesse said.

The two lieutenants looked at one another. This was not a conversation they expected to have with a couple of almost twelve year olds...and certainly not tonight.

But Kelly had never lied to his boys...and he wasn't about to start now.

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"Yeah...yeah he did hit her." he told them.

"Then why'd you let him come here?" Andy asked.

"Because he manned up and admitted he was wrong." Casey said. "He's getting help with his problem and he wanted to tell Veronica he was sorry."

"But why'd he do it in the first place?" Jesse asked.

"Yeah...everybody knows you're not supposed to hit girls." Andy said.

"That's right...you're not." Kelly agreed. "And especially not someone you're supposed to love and take care of."

He paused for a moment.

"I guess sometimes some guys maybe don't have good role models..."

"Whaddya mean?" Andy asked.

"The guy doesn't have a dad...or an older brother...an uncle...a grandpa...whatever...to teach him what it means to be a man." Kelly explained. "And I think that's the way it was with Wilson. He didn't have someone to teach him how to control his anger."

"But Grandpa Benny wasn't around a lot when you were growing up. " Jesse broke in. "You said you weren't close to him till you got older."

"And you'd never hurt Mom..." Andy said.

"That's true, guys...all of it." Kelly said. "But I had my Grandpa Kelly around for a while...and you know what? Grandma Maggie taught me a lot of things herself. And when your mom came along...I knew she was somethin' special."

"My dad wasn't very nice." Casey said. "He was a bully...he was really abusive with my mom...and me. So I learned the opposite. I knew I didn't like what he did to me...and I hated how he treated my mom...so I made up my mind to do things different when I grew up."

"So if you guys figured it out by yourselves...why doesn't he?" Jesse asked.

"No clue..." Kelly said. "But hopefully he's on the right track now."

"And if he's not?" Andy wanted to know.

"Then he'll never come anywhere near here again." Kelly promised his son.

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The twins looked at each other again.

"Declan also told Uncle Nicky that the guy said some bad things about you. He called Uncle Matt a hard-ass...and he called you an SOB, Dad."

Kelly and Casey looked at one another again.

"Well...I've been called a lot worse." Kelly said.

"Same here..." Casey agreed.

"But don't you worry about goin' into a fire with a guy who hates you?"

Andy couldn't believe they were being so casual.

"He doesn't really hate us, guys." Casey said,

"Our job as Lieutenants is to teach the Candidates how to do their job." Kelly told them. "The Academy teaches you about how different fires work...how different structures are affected. They teach you about accelerants and hazardous materials. And they teach you how to use your gear properly...and all the tools."

"But once they get their station assignments is when the real training starts." Casey told his godsons.

"And sometimes we do have to be hard-asses and SOB's." Kelly said. "We're responsible for making sure this guy not only knows how to keep himself alive...but how to keep his brothers safe."

"Sometimes they hate us for a while...but they usually come around in the end." Matt said.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21**

Black Watch had pulled Halloween duty this year.

And it was anything but fun. Not only was it a Friday night...but even more suburbanites flocked to the big bad city for a good time. The bars were gonna be packed. Meaning lots more stupid people to get stupid drunk.

Kelly stowed his bag in his locker and pulled his blue shirt over his head.

He hated missing Halloween with his kids...even though he knew Alyssa would bring them by the firehouse later.

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Wilson slammed his locker shut at the end of the row.

"Hey, Lieutenant?" he asked. "Do you think I could come see Veronica again?"

Kelly shrugged.

"We'll see." he said. "Let's just get through this shift first."

"What?" Wilson asked. "Halloween...should be a blast."

Severide scoffed.

"Halloween _used_ to be fun, Candidate. That's all in the past now."

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The morning was quiet...a couple of ambulance runs...that was it.

"Hey, Severide..." Hermann called out. "I could sure use some cookies and hot cider right about now...what time's it gettin' here?"

In the twelve years Kelly and Alyssa had been married...she'd never missed a Halloween at Station 51. Every year she pulled the car up to the door and the guys practically fell over one another to get at the sugar and butter cookies and hot mulled cider she always brought.

"After school..." Kelly told him. "She's bringin' the kids in their costumes."

"Well...we know what Andy and Jesse are gonna be..." Otis said.

Something else that never changed. The twins were always firefighters for Halloween. Every year, since that very first one...Alyssa just copied Kelly's gear and shrunk it down so the boys could be just like Daddy.

"So what about the girls?" Otis wanted to know.

"They're doing somethin' with Ainsley and Trevor..." Kelly said. "Lyssa's mom's been workin' on it for months."

"Well...don't keep us in suspense." Casey said in an exasperated tone.

But Severide just held up his hands.

"I don't get involved in that crap." he said. "I'll be just as surprised as you are."

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"Engine 51...Truck 81...Ambulance 61...Squad 3...5759 ..."

It was almost three o'clock when they got back...

A dryer had caught fire...apparently someone hadn't realized you need to clean the lint trap once in a while.

Thankfully, everyone got out...nobody was hurt. But a little girl about Maggie's age cried inconsolably because her Halloween costume was lost.

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Wilson had knelt down in front of the little girl.

"What's your name, Cutie?" he asked.

"April..." the little girl sobbed and hiccupped.

"What do you wanna be for Halloween, April?" Wilson said in a sympathetic voice.

"A bubber-fwy..." she said . "A pwetty bubber-fwy..."

All the firefighters had gathered around...wondering what the Candidate was thinking.

"Well...I'll tell you what." he said. "Can you ask your Mommy to bring you to the firehouse later? And we'll make sure you get to go trick-or-treating..."

Once all the clean-up was done and the guys were headed back to the house, Wilson asked Casey...

"Lieutenant? Is it okay if we make a detour past that costume shop down the block?"

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They barely had time to get cleaned up before the trick-or-treating started.

April and her mom came first...and Cruz led them into the common room where the team was waiting with a pink and purple butterfly costume in the perfect size.

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And a few minutes later, Alyssa pulled up with the kids.

She popped the hatch on the back of her mini-van...and Hermann, Cruz and Otis were waiting to unload.

"Feels a little light this time, Lyssa..." Hermann said as he carried three boxes of cookies into the house.

"Take it up with my "taste-testers"..." she said, giving Kelly and Matt a look.

"What?" Casey said with mock indignation. "We were performing a public service! We were putting our lives on the line...making sure those cookies were safe for consumption!"

"Yes..." Alyssa replied wryly. "It took at least thirty tries to make sure..."

Casey looked over to Severide.

"A little help here, please?" he said.

But Kelly shook his head.

"You're on your own, Man..." he told Matt.

"So what's your excuse?" Hermann asked.

Kelly chuckled.

"Same as yours...they're so good I can't help myself."

Then he caught his wife in his arms.

"Love you, Babe..." he whispered playfully.

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Shay came out of the locker room with April and her mother.

"Look what I found..." she said. "A pretty butterfly."

Everyone turned to look.

"That's really pretty..." Dawson said.

April hid shyly behind her mom's legs.

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Kelly reached down for Maggie and Lexi's hands and led them over to the little girl.

"Hey, April..."he said, getting down to her level. "This is Maggie...and this is Lexi."

The three little girls sized one another up.

Maggie was wearing a full light blue skirt with a white poodle sewn onto the bottom and a black leash swirling up to the wide black, elastic waistband. She had a white shirt on with a little black scarf knotted around her neck...and topped off with a pink "satin" jacket.

Lexi had the very same costume...except her skirt was a bubble-gum pink, her scarf was pink...and her jacket was black.

"Hi..." April said softly.

Maggie just smiled.

"You wanna cookie?" she asked.

She reached out and took April by the hand and the two ran over to the table.

Lexi scampered off after them.

"Me too!" she said. "Wexie want cookie!"

Kelly stood up slowly.

April's mom was watching the girls.

"My daughters..." Kelly told her. "Maggie's four and Lexi's two."

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Wilson cautiously approached Alyssa.

"Veronica didn't come with you?" he asked.

Alyssa turned to look at Trey...and she involuntarily took a step back.

Something in his eyes seemed unsettling...maybe even sinister.

He hadn't changed. Not one little bit...and he likely never would.

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"She volunteered to pass out the candy...so I could bring the kids over to see Kelly.

There was something hard...unforgiving in his expression.

What was that old expression about a wolf in sheep's clothing?

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Lyssa was so relieved to be back by Kelly's side...watching their kids stuff themselves with cookies. This was what the holiday was all about...good family time...fun...sweet memories. Not cold, hard, unforgiving eyes that followed them all around the room.

But Kelly didn't notice Wilson.

He led Alyssa a little ways from the group.

"What would you think about taking April and her mom trick-or-treating with the kids? And letting them go to the party tonight?" he asked her.

"Who are they?"

"We had a call out to their house this morning. Dryer caught on fire...the house took some heavy damage. The little girl lost her costume...so some of the guys chipped in and bought her another one."

"Of course, we can invite them."

She looked over to the girls again...Maggie and April were chattering away like they'd been friends all their lives. She was so caught up, Kelly took her by surprise when he said

"It was Wilson's idea...to get her a new costume. He was really good with her."

Really?

Lyssa wondered what was in it for him...but she kept her mouth shut.

Later on she caught Leslie's eye. She was watching Wilson and Lyssa knew she wasn't the only one who smelled a rat.

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The Halloween party was in full swing over at the Severide's. Lyssa's parents, her brothers and her sisters-in-law sat around the dining room table drinking coffee and hot cider. The only ones missing were Kelly and Nicky...and Declan who was riding Ambulance 61 with Shay and Dawson as a volunteer for this all-hands-on-deck shift.

Morgan and Shaina were there with Baby Laura for her first real Halloween...

And of course April and her mom Rosa. Everyone felt sorry for them...and EmmaLynn had brought a bag of Ainsley's old clothes that she had been planning to donate to Helping Hands. She gave them to Rosa so April would have pajamas and a couple days worth of clean clothes.

The others had chipped in too. Kathy was the closest to Rosa in size so she weeded a few things from her own closet and Jimmy and Nicky had some give-away t-shirts from 5 and 10K runs they had done the past summer. They gave them to Rosa for her husband Carlos...and Alyssa had arranged to meet Rosa at the store the next day to pick up a few more necessaries.

And Maggie, Lexi and Ainsley had each picked a toy and a book to give to April.

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The kids were scattered all around the house. The boys, Andy and Jesse, Connor, Dylan and Micah from down the block were down in the Man Cave playing pool and pinball. Savannah and Mia, Micah's twin sister, were in the four seasons room...and Veronica had all the little ones in the living room listening to a story about a little ghost named Hugo who just wanted to find some friends to go trick-or-treating with. He was so happy to find so many nice children on Byron Street in Chicago...and when he went out with Maggie and Lexi, Ainsley and Trevor, and April and Laura he got so much candy that he got a little ghost of a tummy ache!

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The children all roared with laughter...and Veronica sent them off to get some cookies and milk.

"That was a really cute story." Morgan said as he picked himself up off the floor and lifted his daughter...who was dressed as a baby angel...into his arms.

"Thank-you..." Veronica replied shyly.

"You should write it down..." Morgan went on. "It would make a cute Halloween book."

"Oh, go on." she scoffed.

"No, I'm serious." he told her. "Local story...local author...it'd be huge here. And then you could mass market it. I could help you put a proposal together...and maybe even hook you up with an illustrator. Have you written other children's stories?"

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Veronica couldn't believe she was actually having this conversation...with Morgan Craddock of all people.

She shook her head.

"No...but I had dozens of notebooks filled with stories back at my old apartment." she admitted sheepishly.

"Notebooks?" Morgan asked, not believing anyone would still choose such an archaic method.

Veronica rushed to explain.

"My boyfriend wouldn't let me have a computer. He made me get rid of mine...and he kept his laptop locked in the trunk of his car."

Then she realized how ridiculous she sounded. Her boyfriend wouldn't "let" her...he "made" her get rid of_ her_ computer.

Normal people didn't do those things.

Kelly would never "make" Alyssa do anything. Nicky wouldn't tell Kathy she couldn't go somewhere or talk to someone. Joey wouldn't dole out spending money to EmmaLynn in five dollar increments. Even Morgan...who was a big TV star...would never force Shaina to quit her job to focus solely on his needs.

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And now that big TV star was staring at her like she'd just grown another head.

Veronica could feel her cheeks heating up.

"Trey didn't like me wasting time going on line or reading or anything when I was supposed to be doing more important things." she whispered.

There was another awkward silence.

"So what happened to the notebooks?" Morgan asked, going back to the original topic.

"They're still back at my old apartment. I didn't think to take them with me...and then I was too afraid to go back and get them."

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Morgan wasn't exactly sure how to respond to that. The Lieutenant had told him about Veronica's boyfriend and that he was a world-class dick...that the guy had screwed her up beyond belief. But to hear it straight from her mouth was hard.

"Well..." he said finally. "If you ever decide you want to share 'em, I'd be happy to read 'em...give you some feedback...help you polish 'em up. If they're half as good as that story you just told the kids, we should be looking for an agent for you."

"Thank you..."

Veronica was completely awed. Someone as important as Morgan Craddock thought she was talented. Alyssa had told her that Morgan was a good writer himself...he'd even written some of the story arcs for Chicago Fire!

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It was getting to be about time down at Station 51...that last calm before the storm.

Kelly's phone went off...and he saw he had a text message from Alyssa.

He opened it to find pictures of the kids...and he smiled as he scrolled through them.

"Here..." he said as he handed the phone to Shay.

She took it...and started to laugh.

"Aaawww! That's adorable!"

His phone made the rounds and everybody oohed and aahed ...and laughed their asses off at the picture of Maggie and Lexi in their costumes beside Ainsley...who's skirt and scarf were yellow...and her black "satin" jacket matched Lexi's. And Trevor was absolutely hysterical in his jeans, white t-shirt and tiny black leather jacket. His thick, brown hair was slicked back with gel and he smiled a lopsided little grin.

"I like that one even better than last year!" Casey said.

"Engine 51...Truck 81...Ambulance 61...Squad 3...2648 N. Clark Street..."

"That's one-a those bars on that pub-crawl thing." Hermann said as he headed for the apparatus room.

"They're startin' early tonight." Otis observed. "It's not even ten o'clock..."

Casey tossed Severide his phone as they ran to throw their gear on.

Looks like they were about to get their "trick"...

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The street looked like a war zone. Boden was already calling for more ambulances before he even stepped out of the buggy.

There was a Hum-V crashed through the plate glass window in the front of Murphy's Bar. It was hung up on the bricks and the wheels were still spinning.

That's where Squad 3 went first. Kelly glanced at the bodies of victims lying in the street and on the sidewalk as he ran toward the gaping hole. He could hear people screaming inside...and he got down to shine the light under the Hummer.

There were two people trapped beneath the massive vehicle and he could see the oil leaking from the ruptured pan.

The driver of the Hummer was unconscious...and he must have his foot on the gas. The first thing was to get to him...so they could cut the engine. Kelly looked for a way in.

There was no room to maneuver on the driver's side. They'd have to go through the rear window.

But first they had to keep the vehicle from going any further.

"Get the chains!" Severide hollered.

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The men hooked the massive chains to the Hummer's rear bumper and anchored them to Truck 81. That thing wasn't goin' anywhere now.

Mills shattered the glass on the tailgate and crawled through.

"Gunshot wound to the chest!" he called out when he got to the driver.

He cut the engine off and yanked the keys from the ignition. Then he turned his attention on the driver.

"Agonal breathing!"

They had to work fast.

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Severide and Clarke crawled through the rubble of broken glass and bricks and the remains of tables and chairs to reach two young women. The first one Kelly came to had the front wheel crushing her abdomen. He reached out to check for a carotid pulse...but found none.

The second girl was alive and screaming her head off.

One of the Truck guys handed a collar under the vehicle...and Clarke wiggled and maneuvered to get it on the girl.

"How're we gonna do this?" he asked Severide.

"Go forward..." Kelly told him.

Inch by inch the two Squad men wriggled forward, dragging the victim along with them, until they came out from under the front bumper.

Shay and Dawson were waiting with the backboard and Kelly and Clarke helped them secure the girl...who couldn't have been more than twenty-one...and was dressed as a butterfly.

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Once the paramedics had taken her to the waiting ambulance, Kelly went back to the Hummer and tried to pry open the driver's side door.

"Don't bother, Lieutenant." Mills said.

They had their second fatality.

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Out on the street and inside Murphy's the men went from victim to victim...assessing people's injuries. Kelly knelt down beside a guy covered in blood...and tried to figure out where it might be coming from.

Suddenly...the guy's eyes popped open and he started laughing like a loon.

He wasn't hurt! This asshole was wearing a "costume"...and he thought it would be fun to lay down and act like a victim!

Kelly grabbed him by the front of his bloody shirt and hauled the joker to his feet.

"You think this is some kind of joke?! You think this is funny?!" he yelled in the guy's face.

"Fuckin' hilarious..." the guy laughed.

Kelly slammed him against the side of the Squad...and pulled back his fist. If this guy wanted to bleed...it might as well be for real!

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But before he could go through with it...he felt someone grab him by the arm. He looked over his right shoulder to find Wilson there.

"Don't do it, Lieutenant!" the rookie told him. "Forget about this asshole! There's people that need you!"

He was right.

Nobody needed him getting arrested for assault...not when there were dozens of real victims lying in the street.

Kelly allowed himself to be pulled away from the guy...who had miraculously stopped laughing.

"Thanks." he said to Wilson.

"Let's go to work..." the Candidate replied.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22**

Veronica and Trey sat in a corner booth of a hole in the wall place in Little Italy. They had just finished a good dinner and shared a bottle of red wine while they talked and laughed...and Trey regaled her with stories of his latest escapades down at the firehouse.

"And then there was this couple in a silver Corvette...the thing was totaled. I had to work with the Squad to get this poor girl out. It was a mangled mess and her legs were trapped...we had to tear that thing apart piece by piece."

"And what about the driver?" Veronica asked breathlessly. "Was he hurt?"

"He's gonna be in a lot worse shape when his old man gets a hold of him." Trey said. "He snuck out of the house and took his dad's baby without permission."

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They were sharing a piece of Tiramisu when Veronica told him her big news.

"Alyssa finally got the funding approved for the store...so I've got a paying job now! It's not much...I'm only making ten dollars an hour...but they're gonna put me on the insurance plan with the teachers and the other parish employees. So I've got health insurance too!"

Trey was quiet.

"What's wrong?" she asked. "I thought you'd be happy for me."

"That's nothing...ten dollars an hour." he said. "You've got a college degree...from Northwestern. Four hundred a week...before taxes...that's like pissing in the ocean compared to what you could be making."

"But I haven't worked in over three years...and I only had that one job. I don't even have a resume."

"I just think you could do better."

"That's not what you said before..."

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The words hung in the air...and Veronica wished she could take them back.

Trey looked at her across the table...like she had just cut him to the quick.

"You know I didn't mean that..." he told her in a small voice. "You know that wasn't me..."

He was working so hard in his counseling sessions...to try and work through the feelings of self doubt and not being good enough that had led him to lash out at her...and she had to go and throw it all in his face.

"I'm sorry..." she said, laying her hand over his. "I didn't mean that..."

"That's not who I am." he whispered bitterly. "Not anymore..."

"Of course it's not..." she agreed.

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Alyssa and Kelly were watching television in the living room when Veronica let herself in the front door. She could hear them giggling and scrambling to pull themselves together. They were such an affectionate couple...always touching and kissing...and giving each other secret little glances. She longed for that with Trey...and they just might be getting there...maybe one day.

"Hey..." Kelly said.

He didn't sound too thrilled at being interrupted.

"Hey...sorry to barge in..." she said.

"It's okay..." Alyssa said. "We were just about to go upstairs."

"Oh..."

Veronica had hoped to talk to Alyssa for a couple minutes.

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"I'm gonna go check on the kids..." he said, hauling himself up off the couch.

He headed for the stairs...

"I'll mark your place..." he called back over his shoulder. "Don't be long..."

Alyssa rolled her eyes and chuckled softly.

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She could see Veronica was turning about three shaded of red.

"Did you have a nice time?" Alyssa asked.

Veronica nodded enthusiastically.

"It was so romantic!" she gushed. "Trey's totally different...he's sweet...and gentle. I really think it's gonna work out for us."

Alyssa decided to just hold her tongue.

Everything she'd ever read...ever seen...ever heard about guys like Trey told her that he hadn't changed...prob'ly wouldn't change.

But hopefully Veronica wouldn't go back to a situation that she might not ever get out of.

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"He asked me to move back in with him..." Veronica said breathlessly. "And I told him 'yes'!"

Lyssa's heart sank to the soles of her shoes.

"Veronica...you've been doing so many good things..." she said carefully.

She didn't want to flat out say 'no'...'you can't go'.

"Why don't you take a little more time? Just concentrate on you?"

"I don't need to...we already talked about it...he's going to let me keep working...and we can start saving for a bigger place..."

"You shouldn't need anyone's permission to work..."

Just the phrase 'he's going to let me work'...like he's doing her some kind of favor...made the bile rise in the back of Alyssa's throat.

What had happened in this girl's head, that she thought this was the way love was supposed to be?

"It's going to be different...you'll see." Veronica told her.

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But it wasn't.

Alyssa ran up the stairs as fast as she dared...so as not to wake the kids...or arouse Veronica's suspicion.

She closed the door to her room behind her and crossed the few steps to throw herself into Kelly's arms.

"What's goin' on?" he asked...suddenly worried.

What could she and Veronica have said to make Alyssa this upset?

"Lyssa?"

"She's going back to him." Alyssa told him. "She's going back to that _animal."_

"What?"

"She's convinced it's gonna be different...that _he's_ different!"

Kelly didn't know what to say...he wrapped Lyssa tight in his arms.

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"We can't let he do it, Kelly." she said. "He hasn't changed...he's gonna hurt her!"

"I don't think we have a choice, Baby." Kelly said quietly. "She's not a kid...she's not our kid. We don't any say over where she goes...or...what she does."

"But he could _kill _her!"

"I don't like it either." Kelly told her. "But it's her decision."

Alyssa was feeling desperate. Every instinct she had was screaming that this was a bad situation.

"Lyssa...we're all watchin' every move he makes down at the firehouse. And Wilson knows it...maybe it'll all work out."

But somehow, even he could hear how empty those words sounded.


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23**

Veronica hummed to herself as she ran the flat iron over her hair.

The past three weeks had been like a dream. Sure...there were some growing pains. Trey seemed to expect her to fall back in to her old role of cooking for him and keeping the apartment immaculate, but she had a job now. He was going to have to learn to pitch in.

He grumbled a lot...but he would get over it. Especially when they were finally able to move into a bigger place. A two bedroom...and maybe start a family.

She continued to hum as she turned off the iron and reached for her makeup bag.

They had a big meeting at the store today...her and Alyssa...with a director of a big women's shelter on the west side. It could mean a new contract for the store. This organization helped thousands of women and children every year.

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Her mind already on the meeting, she jumped when the bathroom door flew open.

"Trey!"

"What the hell is this?" he asked.

He held up the coffee mug he used every morning.

She had wanted to take her time getting ready this morning, so she just set the clean mug beside the coffee maker, rather than pour his coffee and let it get cold.

"Your coffee mug..." she said, not quite sure why he was upset.

"Why is it empty? Where's the coffee?"

"In the pot...I wasn't sure how long you'd be, so I didn't want it to get cold."

"So now I'm supposed to get my own coffee?" he demanded.

"What's so wrong with that?" she said.

"What's wrong with that?" he mocked her.

Then his tone turned dark.

"What's wrong with that is I'm a man...and I shouldn't have to get my own damn coffee."

"Trey...we can talk about this later." Veronica said. "I have to finish getting ready for work."

She set the flat iron down and reached for her hairspray.

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Trey hurled the mug at her and it crashed against the wall. Then he knocked the hairspray out of her hand.

"Trey!"

"Look at you! Gettin' all skanked up!" he shouted. "Who is he, Veronica? Who are you trying to impress?"

"No one!" she cried. "I have an important meeting! At the store!"

"The store! The store! The store! That's all you ever talk about! I'm sick of hearing about the goddamn store!"

He grabbed her by the arm and yanked her out of the bathroom.

"If I wanted a goddamn career woman, I'd a gone out and found one. The only "_career_" you have to worry about is to cater to my every need!_ I'm_ your only job!"

"Trey! Stop it! this is important to me!" she was sobbing now. "Alyssa's counting on me! And I have to be there!"

"There's no one more important than me!" he yelled. "Alyssa's filling your head with all kinds of garbage! She's making you think you're a real person...that you actually matter!"

He grabbed her by the hair and yanked it hard.

"I could kill you here and now, Bitch! And put you out with the rest of the trash! And nobody'd ever miss you!"

"That's not true!" she sobbed. "Why are you doing this? What about all your therapy?"

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He laughed sadistically.

"Therapy? What the hell would I ever go to a therapist for? Only losers lay down on the couch to tell some asshole with a buncha fancy degrees all about their toilet training!"

"But you said...you told Kelly..."

"And both of you bought it..." he smirked. "What's that say about you? And '_Kelly_'?"

Veronica was sobbing freely now. She had to pull it together...she had to get herself cleaned up and get out of here. Maybe Alyssa would let her come back...

She started toward the bathroom.

"Where do you think you're going?!"

"To get cleaned up! So I can get the hell out of here!" she screamed. "So I can get away from _you_!"

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Trey grabbed her by the hair again and started to drag her toward the kitchen area.

"You think you're gonna leave? You think you can leave me?!" he yelled.

He yanked open a drawer and pulled out a huge knife.

Veronica screamed.

"You think you're _ever_ leaving_ me_?"

He drew back the knife and swung it...taking off a huge chunk of her hair. Over and over, he hacked away at it...and Veronica could only stare in horror as she watched it fall all around her!

When he had shorn her like a sheep he shoved her hard to the floor.

She started to crawl blindly...she couldn't make out a single thing through the tears in her eyes.

If she could just get to her purse...get to her phone...she could call Alyssa.

She could call 911...

Her hand closed over the strap and she started to pull it toward her.

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Trey saw what she was trying to do and he crossed the tiny room in a few long strides.

The heel of his boot came down across the bad of her hand and Veronica screamed in pain. She drew back and he grabbed her purse and started tearing through it till he found her phone.

"Is this what you were looking for?" he held it out...waggling it between two fingers...taunting her. "Is this what you wanted?"

He put it down on the floor and stomped on it...crushing it and breaking it into half a dozen pieces.

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Alyssa looked at the clock...it was five to ten. The lady from The Safe Harbor would be there any minute and Veronica hadn't made it in yet.

Veronica wouldn't just not come. She had been so happy when Alyssa told her she wanted her to be a part of this meeting...that this would be part of her job from now on. She'd never just not show. If she was running late she'd at least call.

Lyssa reached for her cell phone and hit Veronica's number on the speed dial.

Voice mail.

She walked to the front and looked out the window, in the direction Veronica always came from.

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Trey wasn't finished yet. He stalked into the bedroom and ripped open the closet door. He started pulling things off the hangers...sending things flying around the room.

He stomped back into the front room and hurled the pile onto the floor. Then he grabbed the knife again.

"You like these new clothes?" he sneered. "You think they make you look good?"

He slashed a silk blouse in two... and whipped the pieces in her face. Then he grabbed a denim skirt and slashed at that...and a chiffon top...

"How do you like that?!" He said...throwing the pieces at her. "You think '_Kelly_' would want you now?!

Veronica just curled up in a ball on the floor...her body convulsing with sobs...gasping for breath...wishing he would just kill her and get it over with.

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Kelly lay sprawled on the living room floor racing Fisher Price cars on the hard wood floor with Lexi. He'd had to go down to the basement and dig through the plastic bins of toys they had saved from Andy and Jesse to get the Buzz Lightyear and Superman and Batman...and Lightning McQueen cars. A man had to draw the line somewhere...and there was no way he was racing Cinderella or Snow White.

And of course he had to have the little red fire truck.

"I win!" Lexi cried happily. "Wexie beat Daddy!"

Kelly laughed.

"Don't go gettin' cocky, Missy..." he told her. "I got my secret weapon..."

He held up the fire truck.

"My fire truck's gonna leave Belle in the dust."

"Uh-uh!" Lexi said. "Bew-lle gonna beat fi-tuck!"

"Oooh...them's fightin' words..."Kelly said with a grin. "Get ready..."

They put their cars on the 'starting line'.

"Okay..." he said. "On your mark...get set...GO!"

He let his car go just a nanosecond after hers...and Belle in her little yellow car crossed the 'finish line' about a length ahead of the fire truck.

"Wexie win a-_gain_!"

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Alyssa came in the back door.

Kelly turned toward the dining room.

"Hey..." he said, getting to his feet. "How'd your meeting go?"

Lyssa crossed the room and stepped into his waiting hug.

"What's wrong?" he asked as he felt her arms tighten around him. "What happened?"

He looked down at her...and tipped her face up toward his.

"Did it not go well?"

Alyssa shook her head.

"Veronica never showed up." she said. "She missed the meeting...I tried to call her a bunch of times...but it kept going right to voicemail."

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She drew in a ragged breath.

"I'm worried about her."

Kelly could see that...and truth be told he was concerned too.

"I'm sure she's fine..." he said...hopefully with more confidence than he felt. "I'm sure there's a logical explanation."

"Like what?" Alyssa asked. "She was so excited when we prepped for this yesterday. She had so many good ideas...and I told her it was her show. There's no way in..."

She stopped herself when she felt Lexi tug at the leg of her pants.

They looked down at their daughter...who was standing there with one fist full of black fabric...and another full of blue denim.

Lyssa took a deep breath.

"There's no way she'd just_ not_ show up!"

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The next morning at the firehouse Severide cornered Wilson in the locker room.

"Hey..." he said. "What's goin' on with Veronica?"

Wilson looked up from the shoe he was setting in his locker...looking as innocent as a little boy in his First Communion suit.

"Nothing...why do ya ask?"

"Cause she didn't show up for work yesterday...they had some big meeting scheduled." Kelly told him. "Alyssa's been trying to get a hold of her..."

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Wilson just cocked his head to one side and smirked a little.

And Kelly fought the temptation to slap it right off his face.

"Veronica's been interviewin' for a bunch of different jobs." Trey said. "She wants something with a salary more in line with what a Northwestern grad should be makin'...not some little piss-at ten dollar an hour thing in a second hand store."

He closed his locker and snapped the lock.

"And that silly girl lost her phone on the El..." he went on. "I just haven't had time to go get her a new one."

And he brushed by Severide as he walked out of the room.

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Kelly just stood there...stunned...watching the Candidate go.

Something was off...way, way off.

Veronica'd never just up and leave without talking to Alyssa. She just wouldn't.

And how could she be interviewing for jobs when perspective employers had no way to contact her?

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He pulled Casey aside after roll call.

"What's up?" Matt asked when he saw the look on his buddy's face. "Everything okay?"

"Wilson's up to somethin'..." Kelly told him.

But before he could elaborate any further...

"Engine 51...Truck 81...Ambulance 61...Squad 3...Structure fire...Intersection of West 15th Street and South Kedzie Avenue...


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

The call was to a rooming house or some kind of transient motel in North Lawndale...a less desirable part of town...with the dubious honor of having the fourth highest crime rate in the city.

Severide jumped off the squad and took a look at the job in front of him.

Five stories...maybe ten...twelve rooms to a floor...plus bathrooms, closets and whatever...that was a lot of ground to cover.

"Okay..." he said to his men. "We start at the top and work our way down."

And Squad 3 pulled on their hoods and their masks...and disappeared into the smoke.

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Casey turned to Wilson.

"Stick close to me." he told the Candidate for the nine-hundredth time..."If I stop..."

"You wanna feel me hit you in the ass..." Wilson finished. "I know the drill."

It was humiliating, really. He'd been on the job more than six months...and Casey acted like he hadn't even been there six minutes.

He hurriedly pulled on his gear and followed Casey into the building.

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By the time they'd trooped up to the fifth floor Trey knew something wasn't right. He was feeling lightheaded, and it was hard to focus.

Just stay on Casey's ass...he kept telling himself.

They worked their way down the rooms on the east side of the hall...and in the last room they found a man cowering in the corner.

The man...who looked like one of those old men you see on the corner shouting dire warnings about the world coming to an end...screamed and fought as Casey tried to pull him to his feet.

"Wilson, gimme a hand here!" he said.

Wilson didn't move.

"Wilson!"

Trey snapped to attention that time and rushed to help Casey contain the flailing lunatic who was shouting about God only knew what.

Nothing was making any sense.

"Wilson!" Casey yelled. "Focus, goddamnit!"

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Between the two of them they managed to walk Father Time down the stairs and out to one of the many waiting ambulances.

"Are you okay?" Matt asked Wilson before they went back in.

That was a good question...just being outside helped clear his head a little...but Trey was getting a massive headache.

"Fine..." he answered. "Let's go to work."

Casey looked at the Candidate skeptically...before he pulled his mask back on.

They still had more than half the building to clear...not to mention adjacent structures...and they needed every man they could get.

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Squad had worked their way down to four and they found a man and two little boys cowering in a room at the end of the hall. The man had stuffed blankets and sheets under the crack of the door and it took a few precious seconds to force their way in there.

Severide took the first kid...he was probably five or six...little though...and carried him to the stairwell. Then he handed him back to his father.

"Go all the way down!" he shouted. "Keep moving...don't stop for anything!"

They still had over twenty five rooms to clear out...and he couldn't take the time to escort able bodied people down the stairs.

Once the family was on their way down.

"Sending three down the south stairs, Chief!" he said over the radio. "A dad and two kids!"

"Copy that..." Boden acknowledged.

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They made their way down to three...almost halfway there...

Clarke and Mills took the rooms on the east side of the hall and Severide and Capp took the west side.

Casey and Wilson joined them on three at the far end of the hall.

Suddenly, Boden's voice boomed over the radio.

"Everybody out! Everybody get out!" he yelled. "Get out now!"

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The men started for the stairs...and Wilson was barely keeping up as he stumbled behind Casey.

His head was pounding...and his ears were ringing...and everything was so dark...he could barely see two inches in front of him. He could barely catch his breath...he felt like he'd run ten miles.

Then he heard something behind him...he could swear he heard something. It sounded...like...a woman? Where could she be?

"Help me! Help me! Help me!"

Wilson followed the sound...back...one...two...three...behind the door at the end of the hall.

"Fire department!" he yelled as loud as he could. "Call out!"

He stumbled through the room. His hard followed the wall...toward the back.

"Fire department! Call out!" he yelled again.

The floor titled crazily...and he almost landed on his face.

Where was she?

He had to stop...pull himself together.

Shake it off...he told himself. Do your job.

He felt the wall again and put one foot in front of the other.

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Squad three was almost at the stairs when they all heard it.

The shrill piercing sound of a PASS alarm.

The sound no firefighter ever wants to hear.

"Who the fuck is that?" growled Capp.

They followed the sound back the way they'd come...down the hall...to the last door on the left.

It was a bathroom.

Half a dozen sinks lined the one wall...a doorway lead to a bank of showers.

The alarm echoed in the cavernous room. Back...back...another doorway and a row of stalls.

There he was! Lying on his right side, feet pointing toward the door.

What the hell was he doing in there?

"Capp..."Severide said. "Do a quick check of the showers. Make sure there's nobody there!"

Kelly began checking stalls as Clarke and Mills picked up their fallen comrade.

When they turned him over they saw the bright orange shield on the helmet.

"Wilson..." Clarke grumbled. "Dumb ass..."

"Let's go..." Mills said.

Capp came from the showers.

"All clear, Lieutenant." he said.

Kelly had come up empty too.

"Let's get the hell outta here."

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Halfway down the stairs and Casey realized he was all by himself.

Where the hell was Wilson?

Matt took the stairs two at a time back up to three.

"Wilson!" he screamed as he rounded the corner. "Wilson!"

He saw two men carrying a third...and he dodged a couple of falling embers as he made his way toward them.

"Casey!" Clarke yelled. "Go back!"

"We got him, Lieutenant!" Mills called out.

Casey hesitated for the briefest moment...then he started backing down the hall...still keeping his eyes on the two Squad men carrying his unconscious Candidate.

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Severide and Capp made their way down the hall. Things were getting more and more tenuous by the second. Embers were falling from the plaster ceiling like snowflakes in hell.

Kelly kept his eyes on that ceiling...the cracks and fissures were increasing at an alarming rate. Any second, the whole thing might come...crashing...DOWN!

Severide stumbled back a couple steps, and dove to his left just as a five foot chunk of ceiling came down. But he wasn't quite fast enough and it landed on his right ankle and lower leg. He roared in pain and tried to free his foot from under the boulder of plaster.

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"Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!" he called out over the radio. "Ceiling collapsed on three!"

He gave one last desperate tug and managed to get his foot out from under the mess.

That's when he saw Capp.

"Capp! Capp!" he yelled, scrambling over to where his teammate lay face down with a massive block of plaster across his back. "Capp!"

He tried to move the weight...but he couldn't get any leverage.

Waves of pain came crashing over him as he struggled to get his feet under him...he almost had it...when he fell to his right side because he couldn't support his weight. He tried to get up on one knee...but that angle was positively excruciating.

Then through the smoke and flames he saw men running toward him.

Casey...Hermann...Cruz...Otis...

Kelly joined the effort to free Capp from beneath the rubble...and bit by bit they managed to raise the piece that was pinning him down.

Casey and Cruz heaved Capp by the shoulder straps of the SCBA tank and dragged him away as the other men let go of the chunk of plaster.

Chief appeared beside Kelly and pulled Severide's arm around his broad shoulders. Otis hurried to shore up the other side and with Casey, Cruz and Hermann carrying Capp they all got the hell out of Dodge.

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Kelly had never been so happy to see blue sky...

Chief and Otis helped him onto a gurney and he began to pull off his helmet and his mask.

"What is it Kelly?" Shay asked as she began to check him out.

"My ankle..." he said, shrugging off his tank. "Right ankle...it's broken."

She carefully lifted his legs onto the cot...

"AAAHHH!" he screamed. "Careful!"

Dawson kicked the brake and the paramedics rushed Kelly over to Ambulance 61.

"Who's got Capp?" he cried...looking around frantically. "Take him first!"

"23 just pulled out." Leslie told him...trying to calm her best friend. "He's on his way to Lakeshore."

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Severide breathed a huge sigh of relief and started tearing his jacket open and trying to get out of it.

"What're you doing?" Shay asked. "Lie still..."

"I gotta call Lyssa..." he said. "Gotta get to my phone..."

The two paramedics shoved the gurney into the rear of the ambo and Leslie climbed in with Kelly. Dawson slammed the doors and ran for the driver's seat.

Shay was trying to assess him...but Kelly finally got his phone out of his pocket.

He hit number one on his speed dial.

"C'mon...c'mon..." he mumbled impatiently. "Pick up..."

The call went through and Alyssa's voice came through the phone.

"Kelly?" she said. "What's going on? Are you all right?"

He drew in a ragged breath...

"Baby...I'm goin' to the hospital..." he said.

"What's wrong?" Alyssa asked.

He could picture her on her end...already moving...getting the things she'd need to bring...getting the girls things together to get them to a babysitter.

"I broke my ankle...ceiling collapsed...fell on me and Capp..." he babbled. "Lyssa...Capp's in bad shape."

"Listen to me Kelly..." she told him. "I'm gonna run the girls across the street to Kathy...and then I'm coming to you."

"Hurry..." he said. "Hurry...I need you."

"I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Lyssa...Capp's really bad..."

"I know..." she said soothingly..."I'll be there soon, Honey. I'll be there soon."

"Okay..." he said.

He knew she'd come...she'd get there...and everything would work itself out.

"I'll see you at Lakeshore..." he told her, a little bit calmer.

And he clicked the button to end the call.


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25**

Calm...Alyssa told herself. Focus.

Calls from Kelly when he was at work always set her heart racing. But at least it was Kelly that called her, not someone from the department. At least if he could call her then she knew he'd be all right...eventually.

She was going through the motions...all the things she needed to do.

First...the girls.

She hit Kathy's number on speed dial.

"Kathy..." she said when her sister-in-law picked up. "I just got a call from Kelly...can I bring Maggie and Lexi over?"

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Of course the answer was 'yes'...and she started throwing things in a bag for them...books, quiet toys, a couple of movies...she threw some pull-ups for Lexi in another bag along with a sippy cup. Then she ran upstairs and threw together a bag for Kelly...sweats...long sleeve t-shirt...socks and gym shoes.

The last thing to do was go downstairs to the basement and grab his crutches out of the storage room.

They'd more than gotten their money's worth out of those things...she thought ruefully as she hustled back upstairs to get the girls into their coats and hats.

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Declan was just getting home from his classes when Alyssa came dashing across the street, Maggie and Lexi struggling to keep up with her.

"Aunt Lyssa..." he said. "What's goin' on?"

He knew it had to be something bad. His aunt was usually pretty calm, cool and collected...but right now she was frantic.

"I got a call from Kelly..." she replied, leaving the eighteen year old to decipher for himself what that all entailed.

Declan nodded.

Uncle Kelly was hurt.

"I'll take a ride with you." he said. "I'll drive."

Relief flooded over Alyssa. She was on the verge of losing it...and dealing with the traffic and everything was not going to help.

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Kathy Boungiovanni came outside.

"Did you girls come to play at my house?" she asked her two youngest nieces. "What are we gonna do?"

Kathy was the mom of three boys...Declan was the oldest, Aiden was fifteen and a freshman at St. Pat's...and Connor was a year older than the twins and in the seventh grade at St. Pasqual's . So to have little girls around was always a welcome treat.

"We gots our books...and magnets...and color stuff..." Maggie said to her Aunt Kathy.

"An' pink fi-tuck!" Lexi added, taking her hand from Lyssa's so she could hold the toy with two hands.

"Oohh...I can't wait to play with the pink fire truck." Kathy said as she reached for the girls' bag of tricks Alyssa was holding. "Say 'see you later, Mommy'..."

Lyssa knelt down to kiss her daughters.

"I'll be back soon...and maybe I'll even bring Daddy home from work early..." she said.

Kelly had told her he had a broken ankle...surely he'd be able to come home with her.

"Bye-bye..." Maggie said.

"Buh-bye..." Lexi echoed.

Kathy ushered the little ones toward the house.

Alyssa heard her talking to Lexi.

"Did you know my daddy used to be a firefighter too? Just like your daddy?"

"Let's go, Aunt Lyssa." Declan said.

"I've already got the stuff in my car." she said, handing her nephew the keys.

They picked up the pace to a light jog...and a few moments later they were on their way to Lakeshore's ER.

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Kelly just wanted to know what was goin' on out there. He'd been waiting for someone to come in...but except to get him out of his turnout pants and boots, and prop his foot up on a couple pillows with an ice bag...he hadn't seen another soul.

He sure heard them, though. A lot of them. Across the hall in the Trauma room. He heard orders being shouted out, he could see people running in and out...equipment being rolled in and out. They were all working on Capp.

If only he could just get some news. Twenty-six years as a firefighter...and he'd seen bad things happen to people. But this...if he had taken the point...if he had been just a few feet further ahead...it might be him lying in that other room. That was a sobering thought.

They brought Wilson in too...and Kelly couldn't figure out what had happened to him. How had he ended up where he had? He didn't look like he was hurt. He had all his gear on...presumably in working order. What had caused him to collapse like he had?

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"Kelly!"

He looked up to see his wife running to his side. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been so happy to see her.

Kelly held out his arms and Lyssa was there. They held each other close for several long moments...both just grateful that they could. It wasn't lost on either of them that the last time they were in an ER, at least for Kelly was three years ago and the circumstances were very different.

"What happened, Honey?" she asked as she helped him to resettle himself back against the pillows.

Kelly held tight to Alyssa's hand, not wanting her more than a few inches from him. She began to comb her fingers through his hair, still matted with sweat.

"It's okay..." she whispered. "It's okay."

"Wilson stumbled into a bathroom and ended up down in the back...and we had to go get him...then the ceiling came down...and I tried to get out of the way...and this huge chunk of plaster landed right on my ankle...but Capp...Capp got crushed under this...huge...slab...the thing weighed must've weighed over a hundred pounds...I couldn't get it off him! "

His breath was coming hard and fast...and beads of perspiration were forming on his forehead.

"It was like...forever till they got to us...and I was trying to lift that thing...but I couldn't get up...I couldn't move it...I..."

"Okay...okay..." Alyssa cut him off. "Shhhh...shhhh...take a deep breath."

"I just wanna know he's gonna be okay...nobody's come in here...I can't see what's goin' on."

"I'll go see if I can get some news, Uncle Kelly." Declan said.

Kelly nodded.

"Yeah...go..."

He turned back to Alyssa.

"Can you take that ice off?" he asked.

She carefully removed the half melted bag of ice from his ankle...and then the towel that was acting as a barrier.

"My God..." she gasped as she looked down at his swollen foot. "Kelly..."

He struggled to sit forward...to see for himself...and his stomach turned as he took in the livid purple bruise.

Alyssa helped him to lay back again.

"It's broken..." he said. "It can't _not_ be..."

"We'll see, Honey..." Lyssa whispered soothingly. "We'll see what the doctor says..."

"I just...I wish I knew what was goin' on out there..."

"Declan'll be back in a few minutes."

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Suddenly the entire ER exploded with activity. Machines started beeping wildly, voices escalated and dozens of people came running.

"Code Blue...Trauma One...Code Blue...Trauma One...Code Blue...Trauma One..." blared overhead.

"Oh God! Capp!" Kelly struggled to get up. "Capp!"

Alyssa really had to fight to keep him down.

"Kelly! Kelly! Stop!"

"Let go! I gotta get in there!" he cried. "Damnit, Alyssa! Let me go!"

But she just held him tighter.

"There's nothing you can do in there..." she said. "He's in good hands, Honey..."

The fight went out of him...and he slumped back down in the bed.

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Capp had to be okay...had to. They hadn't had a fatality at Station 51 since Darden...almost fifteen years ago. They'd had some bad injuries...but for the most part they'd been damn lucky.

It was like time stood still...Kelly kept craning his neck to see what was going on out there...mentally willing Declan...Casey...Shay..._anybody_ to come in and tell him what was going on. And Alyssa tried her best to soothe him...whispering that it was gonna be all right...gently sponging his face with a cool cloth...but mostly telling him that she loved him.

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Finally...finally...the door to the exam room swung open and a harried looking doctor came in.

"I'm sorry you've had to wait so long, Lieutenant." he said. "It's been crazy out there."

"Is Capp okay?" Kelly blurted out.

He had no time for formalities...and he didn't care about anything else right now.

The doctor drew himself up straight...and Kelly knew right away the news was not good.

"Please..." Kelly said. "I was with him...I've been working with him for almost twenty years..."

The doctor nodded slowly.

Kelly squeezed Alyssa's hand tightly and braced himself for what he was about to hear.

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"I'm not gonna lie to you, your friend's in bad shape. His heart stopped...and we were able to get him back...but there might be brain damage from the lack of oxygen."

"How long was he gone?" Kelly asked.

"Twenty-four minutes." the doctor said.

Twenty four minutes...that was a long time...in the Academy they were taught to cease resuscitation efforts at thirty minutes...but the magic number was really more like fifteen to twenty.

"His spinal cord was severely compressed...between the collapse and his air tank...if he makes it..." the doctor went on. "If he makes it, he'll most likely be paralyzed from the chest down."

Severide felt like someone had just punched him in the gut. He squeezed his eyes shut...and held tight to Alyssa's hand.

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This wasn't happening. This couldn't be happening. Any minute now, he'd wake up and find it had all been a horrible dream. He'd wrap his arms around Lyssa and hold her as he poured everything out to her...and she'd rub those gentle circles against his shoulders and whisper to him that everything was okay...that he was safe now.

"Kelly..." she whispered.

He opened his eyes to find that he was indeed, still in the ER...that he was still hurt...and that Capp might not make it.

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"Let's get you taken care of, Lieutenant." the doctor said.

They went through all the motions...and Kelly barely registered anything that was said.

They rolled in a portable x-ray machine...and Lyssa had to don a lead apron because he wouldn't let go of her hand.

He couldn't lose contact with her. Without it, he'd lose it completely. It was the only thing keeping him together.

The x-ray didn't show a break...and Kelly looked at the doctor like he was insane. Didn't they teach this guy how to read an x-ray in medical school? All he had to do was open his eyes...

So the doctor had put the film up on the light box.

"There's a lot of soft tissue damage..." he said. "That could be obscuring the image. My advice for now is we treat it like a fracture, and you follow up with your own doctor in a few days."

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So the PA came in and applied a mold...and Alyssa helped him into the sweats and shirt she'd brought.

Just as she was handing him his crutches...Declan came back in the room.

"Where the hell have you been?" Kelly asked.

The kid had gone to get some news over an hour ago... and he was just coming back now.

"Sorry, Uncle Kelly..."

"What'd you find out?" Kelly said. "I already know about Capp..."

"Yeah..." Declan nodded. "They're gonna move him up to ICU in a little while. Chief Boden called his brother in California...and his sister in Ohio. They're trying to get flights right now."

"What about Wilson?" Kelly wanted to know. "What's the story on him?"

"Smoke inhalation...he didn't have his mask on properly. The filter wasn't completely attached. He was taking in smoke with every breath of air."

Severide shook his head in disgust.

That was one of the first things they taught you at the Academy. How to check your gear and how to put it on correctly.

"They're gonna admit him for observation." Declan told him.

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They went out to the desk where Kelly signed his discharge papers...then they made their way over to the waiting area where the team had congregated. Boden and Casey stood up to meet him.

"You go on home..." Chief said. "Nothin' you can do here."

"No way..." Kelly replied. "I'm stayin'."

"Kelly..." Alyssa said.

She understood why he wanted to be there...Capp was one of his men...he was responsible, and he took that responsibility very seriously. But he was injured...and the only place he should be was home resting.

"Chief's right." Casey said. "You go and get some rest. I promise, I'll call you if anything happens."

Kelly looked defeated...and Alyssa gently put her hand against the small of his back.

"C'mon, Kelly..."she whispered. "The kids are waiting for us..."

He sighed...and began to make his way toward the door.

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They made it as far as the lobby when Veronica came running in.

Both Alyssa and Kelly stopped in their tracks when they saw her.

She was a mess. Her hair was hacked to pieces...some places almost down to her scalp...and her blouse was torn. She was pale...and she had dark bags under her eyes...like she hadn't slept...and it may have been a trick of the fluorescent lighting...but it looked like she had bruises on her neck.

They all stared at one another. Veronica's eyes darted back and forth between Alyssa and Kelly...like a cornered animal.

But Alyssa set her mouth in a hard line...and gently nudged Kelly forward without saying a word.

She was angry. Clearly she had been right about Trey's miraculous reformation...but Veronica had made a clear choice, despite everything she'd said. And now, because of a mistake on Trey's part...Kelly was hurt...and Capp might be paralyzed for life. If he even lived.

She had no desire to say 'I told you so'.

She urged Kelly toward the door...and out of the corner of her eye she saw Veronica watching them go, before she walked up to the front desk.


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26**

Alyssa pulled the car into the drive and put it in park.

"We're home, Honey..." she said quietly.

Kelly nodded, and slowly unbuckled his seat belt.

"I'll go get the kids..." Declan said from the back seat.

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Alyssa came around to help him. Suddenly Kelly was so tired. It was like the enormity of everything that had happened hit him all at once.

They made their way into the house and Alyssa helped him over to the sofa. She was just propping his foot up when Declan came in the back door with the kids.

"Andy...Jess..." Kelly called to the twins. "C'mon in here, guys."

The twins gave one another a worried look...and walked..._walked_...into the living room.

Lyssa went to help get the girl out of their coats.

"Declan...can you keep the girls out in the playroom?" she asked quietly.

"Sure, Aunt Lyssa...take as long as you need."

Alyssa knew Kelly was going to tell the boys about Capp...and she wanted to be with him when he did. They'd have to tell Maggie and Lexi something too...but not right now. The girls were too young to understand...and neither one was all that close to him. Not the way Andy and Jesse were.

"Go play..." she whispered to the girls. "Behave yourselves..."

Then she went back to Kelly.

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Andy and Jesse approached their dad with caution. He was hurt...and it looked bad. Of course, not as bad as the last time...when he had to stay in the hospital for two months...but the bandage on his foot looked pretty scary.

Alyssa settled herself on the couch beside her husband and put her arm around his shoulders. He reached across and took her left hand in his...and squeezed it tight.

This was harder than he thought it was gonna be.

"Are you okay, Dad?" Jesse asked.

"I will be..." Kelly told him.

"What happened?" Andy wanted to know.

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Kelly took a deep breath and let it out slowly. He leaned back into Alyssa's arms, letting them encircle him...protect him.

"We got a call to a cheap motel on the West Side...it was a really old building...really run down..." he began. "There were a lot of rooms to search...and we got about halfway through. There was a lot of smoke...and the fire was in the walls."

He had to stop...it was too hard...too soon.

Andy and Jesse stared at him...wide eyed.

Dad usually didn't give them this much detail about a fire. Usually he kept it short and sweet...he didn't talk about the dangerous stuff, like fire in the walls. That was a scary thing...having to fight a fire you couldn't see...never knowing when it was going to jump out and get you.

Kelly felt Lyssa press a gentle kiss against his shoulder...reminding him she was there.

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"Chief called for us to get out..." he went on. "And we were almost to the stairs...when we heard a somebody's PASS alarm...so we doubled back."

"Who was it?" Andy asked.

"It was...Wilson. The Candidate. He had a problem with his mask...and he collapsed from smoke inhalation."

That didn't seem quite right to Andy...he was only twelve...and Dad had taught him how to check a mask and a SCBA tank...to make sure it was working properly _before_ a man got into a fire. If he could do it...why couldn't Wilson? He'd graduated from the Academy, for Pete's sake.

But he supposed accidents could happen. He just wanted Dad to get to the rest of the story.

"Anyway...Wilson was down in a bathroom at the end of the hall, and Uncle Pete and Uncle Jeff took him. Capp and I made a quick search of the room to make sure there was no one else...and then we got out too. We were...we were...about...halfway...down the hall when the ceiling collapsed right on top of us."

His voice broke...and he drew a ragged breath.

He had to hold it together in front of his boys...he had to get it together.

"I dived outta the way...but I wasn't fast enough. A piece of it hit my leg. But Capp...Uncle Capp...he took the worst of it. A huge section fell right on his back..."

"Is he okay, Dad?" Jesse asked. "Is gonna be all right?"

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Kelly shook his head.

"No, Buddy..." he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "No...he's not. The weight of that ceiling, it damaged his spine...and...he's paralyzed...paralyzed from...the chest down."

Andy and Jesse were stunned into silence.

If Uncle Capp was paralyzed...that meant he was gonna be in a wheelchair...like that kid in school...the third grader who got in a car accident when he was four.

And if he was in a wheelchair...Uncle Capp couldn't be on Squad anymore. He couldn't be a firefighter.

Kelly couldn't bring himself to tell them the rest. He looked over at Alyssa...silently pleading with her to help him. She nodded her head...then kissed him again.

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"Boys...more than Uncle Capp's back was hurt." she told them gently. "The weight of the ceiling...along with his air tank...it pressed on his chest so he couldn't breathe. And that's...the most serious problem right now."

"How?" Jesse asked.

He didn't see how it could get any worse.

"I don't...I don't know how to say this...other than to just come right out and say it." Alyssa said. "But Uncle Capp...he may not...be able...to...to survive this. He's hurt that badly..."

Kelly choked back a sob...and he could see through his own tears that his boys were crying too.

"What do we do?" Jesse whispered.

Lyssa shook her head.

"You just remember Uncle Capp in your prayers...you ask God to do whatever he thinks is best...so Uncle Capp doesn't suffer." she said. "It's all in God's hands..."

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By the time Alyssa came to bed that night, there had been no changes.

It had been a real ordeal, getting the kids down...especially Lexi. Her whole routine was thrown into a tailspin. She couldn't understand why Daddy wasn't giving her her bath and putting her in her jammies.

She liked the part where she was allowed to climb in the big bed in Mommy and Daddy's room and Daddy read her _lots_ of stories..._way _more than he did when they sat in the rocking chair in her room. The little girl settled into his arms and listened to Kelly read Goodnight Moon and Butterfly Kisses...and she _almost_ fell asleep when he read about the sleepy bunnies in the Napping House.

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It was so nice and cuddly in the big bed and Lexi gave a happy sigh that turned into a great _big_ yawn...and the next thing she knew she was being lifted out of the warm, snuggly place.

"Noooo..." she whimpered.

"Shhhh...Lexi...time for bed."

But it wasn't Daddy's voice she heard.

It was Andy.

"Noooo...Daddy..."

"Andy..." she heard Daddy's voice say.

"I got it, Dad..." Andy's voice said back. "I'll handle it..."

Andy carried Lexi down the hall to her room and grabbed her pink blankie from the crib. He crossed the room to the rocking chair Uncle Matt had built and sat down with his baby sister in his lap."

"Shhh, Lexi..." he whispered as he covered her with the blanket. "It's okay..."

"Want Daddy..." Lexi cried.

"I know you do...but Dad's hurt really bad...and he can't carry you right now..." Andy explained.

"Daddy!"

"Shhh...it's okay..."he told her over and over. "I've got you...Big Brother's gonna take care of you...Shhh..."

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Kelly listened from outside the door.

The sound of Lexi crying for him just broke his heart. And even though moving around was excruciating he had hauled himself up off the bed, and made his way to her room so she would know Daddy still loved her.

But he wasn't prepared for what he heard. Andy, the proverbial bull in the china shop, was rocking his baby sister to sleep. As he listened to his firstborn calm and soothe his youngest with uncharacteristic tenderness he'd never been so proud of Andy!

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They repeated the whole process with Maggie...except she didn't cry when Jesse came to take her to her bed after she'd gotten all her stories. At least she understood to some degree what was going on, and she still had some memories of Daddy's injury and his recovery from a couple years ago.

But that didn't make it any easier for Kelly, having to hug and kiss her goodnight and then having someone take his Baby Girl away.

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After the boys were in bed Alyssa quietly closed the door to her room an went around to Kelly's side of the bed.

"Hey..." she whispered as she sank down beside him. "How do you feel? Do you need anything?"

"For you to wake me up from this nightmare..."

Her heart went out to him. She knew he was worried sick about Capp and that he was feeling guilty that he wasn't down at the hospital with everybody else.

Kelly could deal with his own pain...but when it came to someone else hurting, he wanted to shoulder the burden for them. And the fact that he couldn't tore him up inside.

"I wish I could, Kelly. I really do..." she told him as she combed her fingers through his hair.

He caught her hand in his.

"Come to bed, Babe..." he said softly.

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He held out his arms to her and as soon as she settled against his shoulder he pulled her as close to him as he could and tangled his fingers in her long, brown hair.

They held each other for several minutes...

"You were right about Veronica." Kelly whispered.

Was it only two days ago that she'd come in all worried because the girl hadn't shown up for work? It seemed like a lifetime.

"I didn't wanna be..." Alyssa said. "I really wanted to be wrong."

"So what do we do?" he asked.

"Nothing..." she answered. "I'm sure that sounds terrible, but Veronica made a choice. I told her I didn't think it was a good idea to move back in with him. And I don't wanna play some...yo-yo game...where she comes here, then he bullshits his way back in and the whole thing starts all over."

"What if she comes to us?"

"I honestly don't think she will...but I guess we'll have to cross that bridge when we get there."

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The moonlight poured in through the slats of the blinds, casting an ethereal glow around the room and Alyssa traced those slow, lazy patterns across Kelly's bare chest.

"I can't worry about Veronica right now." she said. "I just want for you to be okay...for the kids to be okay...and for our family to get through this."

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Kelly's phone rang early the next morning.

He grabbed it before the second ring and answered.

"Yeah?" he said groggily. "Matt...what's goin' on?"

Alyssa sat up in bed. A call that early could only mean bad news.

Kelly wiped the sleep from his eyes.

"When did they do the scan?" he asked.

He listened to whatever Matt had to say.

"And they're sure?"

Alyssa heard him sigh a defeated sigh.

"Okay...we'll be there as soon as we can."

He ended the call.

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"What is it, Honey?" she asked.

"They did a brain scan on Capp...and...there's...no...activity. He's brain dead."

Alyssa made the Sign of the Cross.

"Kelly..."

She lay back down and wrapped her arms around her husband.

"I'm so sorry, Honey." she said.

"They're still waiting on his brother, Dave, to come from San Diego. Once he gets here and their family has some time together, they'll prob'ly pull the plug."

He looked over at Alyssa.

"I wanna be there...with everybody." he told her. "I need to be there."

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Lyssa knew he did. And she wouldn't consider _not_ going with him.

"I'll see if EmmaLynn can take the girls this morning...and maybe my mom can relieve her."

Kelly knew she'd be there for him...and he loved her for it. Station 51 had kept vigil many times before...for him...Casey...Mouch...even for Alyssa. They were a family...and he was so grateful she was going to be there with him. He needed her strength today...more than ever.


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27**

The team from Station 51 had spent too damn much time at hospitals. That was for sure.

They had pulled together and kept vigil when Hermann had been horribly injured years before...they'd been there for Casey...for Shay...Mouch...and Severide, more than once.

But this time...it was different. This time they weren't waiting for someone to come out of surgery or to open their eyes after a nasty bump on the head. This time they were waiting for Capp's brother to come in from California to say good-bye.

And then they'd pull the plug on a brother.

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The firefighters had taken over the ICU waiting room.

Cruz was slumped in the corner of one couch, head back...trying to catch a few ZZZ's. Clarke was sitting in a chair, leaning forward, elbows on his knees...staring intently at a spot on the carpet. Otis flipped through every magazine and newspaper in the room...then he looked around...and went back to the first one he had picked up.

Casey stood beside the window, leaning against the wall...staring out at Lakeshore Drive. And Chief paced back and forth across the same five feet of floor like an expectant father.

Severide sat on a "two-seater" beside the door. Alyssa had brought a chair over and set it in front of him so he could prop his foot up...and she'd folded her coat to make a "pillow" to rest it on. Now she came from the vending area with a bottle of water for him and a bag of pretzels so he could take something for pain.

"Here you go, Kelly..." she said as she sank down beside him on the little couch.

He took the bottle of water, opened it, and took a long swallow. Alyssa fished the pill bottle from her purse and handed that to him. He swallowed two down and chased it back with another swallow of water. Then he half-heartedly opened the bag of pretzels and ate a few.

They tasted like sawdust. Everything did. He was barely able to choke down breakfast...and that was Lyssa's homemade blueberry waffles.

He felt Lyssa's arm slide around his shoulders.

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The minutes and the hours ticked by...and around two-forty five...Capp's brother arrived from San Diego.

It was like seeing Capp walk into the room...and Kelly wasn't the only one who did a double take. These two looked more alike than Andy and Jesse...and they weren't twins.

Chief Boden approached the man.

"David? I'm Wallace Boden."

David Capp held out his hand.

"I wish we coulda met under different circumstances." he said.

Casey came away from the window to introduce himself and Kelly whispered to Lyssa to help him up. He got to his feet and hobbled over just as David was asking which room his brother was in.

"He's in room three..." Chief told him.

Then he nodded in Kelly's direction.

"David...this is Lieutenant Kelly Severide...he's in charge of Squad 3."

David Capp turned around...and he seemed a bit taken aback at the sight of Kelly on crutches.

The two men shook hands.

"Were you with Irwin when he..." David asked.

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The whole room looked up at the mention of Capp's first name. They had never, _never_ called him by it...and truthfully, most of the men had forgotten he even had one.

Capp was the oldest of three boys...and he also had three older sisters. So when he came along, his parents had named him for both his grandfathers...Irwin and George.

It didn't leave a lot of room for nicknames.

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Severide nodded. He didn't know what to say... he had gotten off so easy with just a banged up ankle...and Capp was gone.

Before the situation could get any more awkward, another brother came out to the waiting room. This was Capp's youngest brother, Kenny...and he couldn't have looked more different from his brothers. Olive skin...brown eyes...thick head of black hair...he looked like he should be at one of Alyssa's family reunions.

"There you are..." he said to David. "I was just coming to try and call you. C'mon...everybody's waiting..."

There were a few long glances between the Capp brothers and the firefighters from Station 51...but Kenny put his arm around his brother's shoulders and led him through the double doors into ICU.

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Alyssa came up beside Kelly.

"You wanna sit down again?" she asked, pitching her voice so only he could hear.

"No...I need to move around a little." he said.

They made their way slowly down the hall. Once they were out of sight of the rest of the team, Kelly leaned back against the wall and closed his eyes.

He felt Alyssa touch his arm...and he just let himself get lost in the motion of her gently running her hand up and down.

"How're you holdin' up, Honey?"

He slowly opened his eyes again.

"Tired..." he told her. "It hurts..."

Lyssa smiled a sad smile.

"Is there anything I can do?"

He gave her a tiny smile back. He knew she loved him...and he was glad she was there with him.

"You're doin' it, Babe..." he said.

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An hour crept by...and then another.

Finally, a nurse came out and said.

"The family's ready to turn off the machines...they want to know if any of you want to come in one last time before they do."

The firefighters looked around at one another. They all wanted to go in...but nobody wanted to be the first.

Finally, Clarke and Mills stepped up...and they followed the nurse through the doors. They only stayed a few minutes, then Cruz, Otis and Hermann went in.

Shay and Dawson went next...and when they came out Leslie was wiping her tears with the cuffs of her hoodie.

Shay always was a crier...Kelly thought.

Finally, Chief, Casey and Severide went in. Alyssa followed her husband, but she stayed back by the nurses' station...far enough to give the men some privacy...close enough in case Kelly wanted her to be there.

After a few minutes, Chief and Casey came out...but Severide lingered by his teammate's bedside. He didn't move...and Lyssa edged a little bit closer. She was standing just outside the door, watching him. She knew the weight of this was crushing Kelly.

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Another minute passed, and Kelly didn't move.

Alyssa quietly slipped into the room and went to her husband's side. She laid her hand on his back and he shifted his crutches so they were both under one arm...and he draped his left arm over her shoulders, leaning on her.

"I know..." she whispered. "I know..."

As hard as it was going to be for everyone...Capp's family...the men and women at Station 51, most of whom had served together for years and years...it was better this way. At least he wasn't suffering, he wasn't in any pain. Having to live the rest of his life in a wheelchair would have been worse for Capp.

"I'm sorry, Man..." Severide whispered so softly Alyssa barely heard.

She wondered if he even knew he spoke the words out loud.

"C'mon..."

Kelly shifted himself again, balancing on the crutches, and he let his wife lead him from the room.

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The team was back in the waiting room, and a few minutes later David Capp came out with tears running unashamedly down his face.

"He's gone." he said.

Then turned and went back to ICU 3 to be with his family.


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28**

Every firefighter in Chicago turned out for the wake...or at least it seemed that way. The entire funeral parlor was nothing but men in dress blues and Severide actually felt kinda sorry for the other families waking their loved ones and having to navigate past all these firemen on top of it all.

The Severide's had been among the first to arrive. They staked out a corner table in the lounge area beside the chapel and got Maggie and Lexi set up there.

Kelly looked at his little girls, dressed in their matching Christmas dresses their Nonna had made for them. He really hadn't liked them all that much when he first saw them. Not that they weren't nice...they were well made...and Maggie and Lexi looked like a couple of living dolls in the full skirts, the rounded collars and the big bows tied in the back. He just didn't think black and dark blue plaid dresses were very Christmas-y.

They looked more appropriate for a funeral.

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The boys had their brand new suits on. Both of them had sprouted at least three inches over the past year and Alyssa's brother Jimmy had to take them on an emergency shopping trip.

When Kelly looked at them it was like looking in a mirror...after he'd traveled back in time about thirty-five years.

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Shay got there a few minutes after they did and she volunteered to sit with the kids so Alyssa could get Kelly settled in. He looked really uncomfortable...honestly he probably shouldn't even be there...but everybody knew better than to suggest it.

No...everyone at Station 51 had already decided...they'd rotate babysitting duties the same way they'd rotate the honor guard. Ten minute shifts.

Alyssa led Kelly over to a love seat in the back of the chapel and off to one side. They'd be accessible to the kids and to their friends...but out of the way at the same time.

As he tried to get comfortable, everything from the past couple of days just hit Kelly like a ton of bricks.

As morbid as it sounded, every firefighter prepared for this...what happened if they were to die in the line of duty. There were books...multi-page books...that they filled out and kept updated with all their information and what their wishes were in case the unthinkable happened. There was stuff about insurance, wills, pensions...and you could get as detailed as to plan your own funeral service if you wanted to. What Scripture you wanted read, what songs you wanted played, flowers, bagpipes, right down to the last detail.

Kelly had never known any firefighter who had got to that extreme.

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But even with everything spelled out for you, there was still a lot to do.

After Capp passed, the first thing they had to do was make a trip upstairs. Chief said someone had to go and tell Wilson, who was a patient on the telemetry unit. Nobody had jumped at the chance...so as the two Lieutenants, Kelly and Casey went with Boden.

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The Chief rapped on the door with the back of his hand. There were some voices from inside the room, then the door opened a crack and Veronica's face...or at least part of it...appeared.

Chief Boden inhaled sharply...it was the first time he'd ever seen the girl...and he could tell that Wilson was _not_ getting any kind of handle on his anger issues.

Casey stepped up to the door.

"Veronica...we need to talk to Trey. It's important." he said.

She opened the door slowly...and Chief and Casey entered.

Her eyes went wide when she saw Kelly and Alyssa were standing there too. Kelly hobbled past her to join the other men...and Alyssa hung back again, staying up against the wall. She didn't say anything to Veronica...and Veronica seemed to be trying to decide whether or not to speak herself.

In the end, she dropped her head and retreated to an uncomfortable looking chair in the corner.

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"Wilson..." Boden said. "How're you feelin'?"

"Okay..." Trey answered weakly. "I don't really know what happened...I don't remember."

How convenient...Severide thought to himself.

"Well, we can't stay long." the Chief told him. "We just...had to come and tell you...Capp's gone."

A tortured sounding noise escaped Wilson's lips...something between a snort and a cry.

"What? How?" he wailed. "What happened?"

From her position off to the side Alyssa shook her head in disgust. These were crocodile tears if she'd ever seen 'em...and it was enough to make you sick.

She could tell the others weren't buying it either.

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Then she felt Veronica' eyes on her...boring into her...and she looked up.

It was tragic, what had happened in just a couple of days. Kelly had told her last night about his conversation with Trey right before the call. She didn't believe it either...that Veronica would quit her job without saying a word. But she had known it wouldn't take Trey too long to go back to his old ways. That he wasn't about to put up with the changes Veronica had started to make.

But the girl had made a choice...and right now Alyssa had her own family to worry about.

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Wilson was sobbing...and it was making everyone uncomfortable.

"I can't believe it..." he said as he tried to choke back the tears. "He died to save me!"

Kelly couldn't stand it one more second. He turned around and headed for the door, Alyssa right behind him.

"Oh, Dear God..." she whispered fiercely once they were out in the hallway. "He should get an Oscar for that performance!'

Kelly let his breath out. It was hard to take...that was for sure.

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A few minutes later Casey and Boden came out as well.

"So...what do you think, Chief?" Casey asked.

"What in God's name did he do to that girl?" Boden wanted to know. "Is that what the two of you saw?"

"No...this is way worse." Matt said. "Her hair all hacked up..."

"You think we can get her out of there?" Boden wondered.

"I doubt it, Chief..." Alyssa said regretfully.

She had seen a look of defeat and resignation in Veronica's eyes. She was totally under Wilson's control, and extracting her from that mess would take a lot more energy than she had right now. Besides...she'd meant what she had told Kelly, about not playing the yo-yo game. She couldn't take Veronica in again, not around the kids...not with Kelly needing her the way he did right now.

Boden sighed...and then drew himself up straight.

"We've got a firefighter to bury."

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Alyssa touched Kelly's arm, bringing him back to the present.

"You wanna come out and let me fix you a plate?" she asked.

He just looked at her with tired eyes. Actually he wasn't the east bit hungry...in fact the pain was making him a little nauseous. His ankle had been throbbing for the past hour or so and he needed to put his foot up. And he needed to put something in his stomach if he was gonna take any meds.

Lyssa stayed close beside him as he maneuvered through the throngs of people. There must have been two hundred people in the lobby and spilling over into the lounge.

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Otis was on Munchkin detail...and he was playing a word game with Maggie. He would write down a word and leave out a letter, then the little girl had three guesses to fill it in.

"K!" she said happily. "Cake!"

"That's right!" Otis told her proudly. "I'll be you're the best reader in your whole class!"

Maggie nodded...grinning from ear to ear.

"Yup!"

"Wexie have cake?"

Otis looked over at Lexi.

"You just had two cookies." he reminded her.

"Now want cake." she said very matter of factly.

Kelly chuckled softly to himself. Lexi had the biggest sweet tooth of any of the kids.

"Hey, relief is here." he said as he hobbled over to a chair.

"Perfect timing. I'm up next..." Otis said.

He and Cruz were due to relieve Clarke and Mills as honor guard.

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Alyssa pulled out the chair for Kelly to sit, and when he handed her his crutches she leaned them against the wall, out of the way. Then she angled another chair so he could elevate his foot.

There was immediate relief and he let out the breath he hadn't even realized he was holding. Lyssa laid her hands gently on his shoulders and he reached up to catch her right one with his left. She leaned down to kiss his cheek and whisper in his ear...

"I'll be right back, Honey."

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No sooner had she left to go fix him a sandwich from the deli trays that had been brought in, then Kelly heard his name being called.

"Hey...Severide..."

He looked up to see two guys he hadn't seen in about fifteen or sixteen years. Jack Wolf and Ted Long had both passed through Station 51 as relievers a couple of times. Jack was at Station 34 the last time he'd checked...and Long had retired last year.

Kelly was trying to figure out how they knew Capp. But then he remembered Long's brother Steve had been in Capp's Academy class.

"Hey..." Kelly said.

They looked down at him, sitting there with the two little girls in their matching dresses...

"How come you got stuck at the kids' table?" Wolf asked.

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But before he Severide could answer Maggie piped up.

"Look, Daddy..." she said, holding up a picture colored with her no-mess markers. "Look what I made!"

Kelly smiled.

"That's great, Maggie. Really nice..."

"You take it to da firehouse?" she asked. "Hang it in your locker?"

"Daddy's not gonna be goin' to work for a while, Baby Girl." he said. "How 'bout if we hang it on the fridge?"

Long and Wolf were looking confused...so Kelly cocked his head to the left, indicating to the crutches propped up against the wall.

"Were you..." Wolf asked, raising his eyebrows instead of finishing his sentence.

Kelly nodded.

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Alyssa came back with his plate and a bottle of water.

"Here you go, Kelly." she said as she set everything in front of him.

He looked down to see half a ham and cheddar on rye...and half a turkey and Swiss on wheat. She'd piled some sliced fruit, pineapple and cantaloupe on one side of the plate...and balanced a few cookies on the edge.

"Thanks, Babe..." He said.

Then he looked up at Wolf and Long again, and introduced them to his family.

"Guys...this is my wife, Alyssa." he said. "Lyssa...this is Jack Wolf and Ted Long. We go way back."

Alyssa held out her hand to them...

"And these are our daughters...Maggie and Lexi." he added.

And as if on cue, the twins came up to him.

"Excuse me..." Andy said.

The two firefighters turned around and almost did a double take.

They looked at the two boys...and there was no mistaking who they belonged to.

Kelly smiled.

"And these are our boys...Andy and Jesse." he said. "Guys...this is Jack Wolf...and Ted Long."

Andy held out his hand just the way his dad had taught him.

"Pleased to meet you, Sir..." he said.

The two firefighters shook hands with Severide's two clones.

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"Dad?" Jesse asked. "Can we go outside for a few minutes? And get some air?"

Kelly nodded his permission.

"Yeah...just stay right in front."

"Thanks!" Andy said with a grin.

Jack Wolf shook his head in amazement.

"What?" Severide asked.

But he knew what was coming...the same thing that came out of everyone who knew him back in the day...everyone who hadn't seen him in years.

"I just never pictured you with a family..." Wolf replied.

Kelly just gave a little shrug.

It was sad how time just stood still for some people...and they expected everyone else to just stay in the same rut and never move forward with their lives.

What was so unbelievable about a man his age having a wife and kids?

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The two men left to go pay their respects...and Alyssa pulled up another chair to sit beside Kelly as he half-heartedly picked at his food.

Then he caught something out of the corner of his eye...little fingers, sneaking closer and closer to his plate...

Quick as a two year old could be, Lexi's hand snatched the last cookie from his plate.

Kelly and Alyssa both looked over at their baby...who was happily munching on that cookie...and who had crumbs all over the table in front of her.

"Did you take my cookies?" Kelly asked her, with a teasing edge to his voice.

Lexi nodded.

"Dey call me...Dey say...'Wexie...come eat me!'" she said with a smile.

"Oh, really?" he said. "How come _I_ didn't hear 'em?"

"You was talkin'..." Lexi told him. "To dose big mans..."

"Those guys were firemen...coming to say good-bye to Uncle Capp."

"Dere yots of firemans here."

Kelly chuckled softly.

"Yeah, there are." he agreed. "There sure are."

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"Kelly...we should probably think about movin' out." Alyssa said. "It's almost Maggie and Lexi's bedtime."

But more than getting the girls home, she wanted to get him home.

She could see how uncomfortable he was, and they were in for a long day with the funeral tomorrow.

Kelly looked at his watch.

It was a quarter after seven... the wake wouldn't be over till nine.

And as a commanding officer, he had to stay. As _Capp's_ commanding officer, he _wanted_ to stay.

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"You take the kids home." he said. "I'll get a ride home from Casey, or Shay...or somebody."

"Kelly..."

"No. Alyssa...I need to stay till the end."

"Can we stay with you, Dad?" Andy asked.

He and Jesse had just come over to ask if they could go outside again, with some of Capp's nephews.

But Kelly shook his head.

"No...you guys go with your mom." he said.

He could see the twins...well, Andy... was gearing up to protest how that was unfair...how they weren't babies that had to be in bed by eight...

"You need to be there to help in case your sisters need to be carried." he told them pointedly.

Andy still didn't think it was fair...but Jesse poked him.

Dad was right...if Maggie and Lexi fell asleep on the way home, Mom couldn't carry them both. She'd have to wake Maggie up and make her walk. And he knew from experience that the little girl wasn't an easy one to get up.

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She was packing up the girls' bags of toys and books when Benny Severide came into the lounge.

"Hey...leaving already?" he asked.

Alyssa looked up at her father-in-law with tired eyes.

"I need to get the girls home and ready for bed." she told him.

"What about Kelly?"

Benny had seen his son. He could see how Kelly was hurting...

"He's insisting that he's gonna stay." Alyssa replied tersely. "He says he'll get a ride with Matt or Leslie."

"And you're okay with that?"

But one look at his daughter-in-law answered that question. Alyssa was torn between what she needed to do as a mom, and wanting to be there for her husband.

"Why don't I take the kids?" Benny offered.

Alyssa breathed a sigh of relief.

"Would you do that?"

"Of course... " he said. "I'll take your car...take the kids home...get the girls in bed and wait till you get there."

He dug in his pocket and handed Alyssa the keys to his car.

"You take mine..." told her.

She threw her arms around Benny...so grateful he was there.

Benny may not have been around for Kelly when he was a kid...but he really knocked himself out to be there for the family now. When Kelly had hurt his knee the year the twins were in kindergarten...Benny had lived with them for almost six months, helping out, taking the boys to and from school...so Alyssa could take care of Kelly. After that he had moved back to the city...to a one bedroom apartment about eight blocks from the Severide's. He still came around at least once or twice a week...he went to the boys' games...Maggie's dance recitals. He even played with Lexi and the pink firehouse.

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Andy and Jesse came from the coat room with Maggie, Lexi and Alyssa's coats.

"Here you go, Mom..." Jesse said.

She reached for Lexi's pink bubble jacket.

"Change of plans, guys..." she said. "Grandpa's gonna take you guys home...I'm gonna stay with Dad."

"Can we stay too?" Andy asked.

"Why don't you guys come with me?" Benny suggested. "It's been a while...I might not remember where everything's at..."

Again, before Andy could say anything, Jesse poked his twin.

"Sure, Grandpa..." Jesse said. "No problem."

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Alyssa walked them outside...and gave the girls kisses.

Lexi was already half asleep, resting her head on Benny's shoulder.

"You girls be good..." she said. "Don't give Grandpa a hard time..."

Lexi gave a big yawn.

"We'll be home by ten..." Alyssa told Benny.

"Don't worry about us." he told her. "We got everything under control...right boys?"

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Lyssa hugged herself against the January chill as she watched her family head for the parking lot.

Then she went back inside to Kelly.

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He was standing in the back, off to one side, talking to Casey in low tones.

"Did you see Wilson here tonight?" Matt asked.

"No..." Kelly answered.

"Chief said he got out of the hospital yesterday afternoon...I'd have thought he'd at least put in an appearance." Casey noted.

Severide just shook his head.

He wasn't surprised in the least.

Somehow he couldn't see Wilson lasting the full two years as a Candidate.

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He felt a hand on his back, and he turned to see his wife standing beside him.

"I thought you took the kids home." he said.

"You're dad offered to do it so I could stay with you."

Kelly's jaw set into a hard line...and he didn't say anything.

Sensing the change in temperature, Casey decided it was time to pull back.

"Excuse me..." he said. "I need to go check on some of the details for tomorrow..."

And he left Kelly and Alyssa alone...well...alone in a room full of people.

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"You should have taken the kids, Alyssa." Kelly said in a low voice. "I don't need you coddling me."

Alyssa signaled with her eyes that she wanted to have a more private conversation...and she lead him from the chapel to a relatively quiet hallway near the restrooms.

"What?" he said, his voice sharp with annoyance.

"I'm not coddling you, Kelly." she told him.

"Yes, you are. The kids needed to go home...and..."

She interrupted him.

"Kelly, your father offered to take them...and I agreed it was a good idea. He saw you were hurting...I see it...so forgive me if I want to be with you right now."

"I'm just saying...I can manage by myself for an hour or two."

"I know you can." she said.

She laid her hand on his arm.

"Kelly, I love you...more than anything in this world. And when I see you in pain, it hurts me...and I just want to do whatever I can for you. But sometimes all I can do is just be there. This is one of those times."

His expression softened.

He hadn't meant to snap at her...and the fact that he had just meant that she was right. He was tired...his ankle was killing him...and he did need her.

And he was lucky to have her there with him.


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29**

The next day was the one they'd all been dreading. The funeral.

The department was pulling out all the stops...Capp was being buried with full honors. And all the men and women from Station 51 were taking part.

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The Severide's were among the first to arrive again...but today it was just Kelly, Alyssa and the boys...and Benny.

Nadine had arrived before seven that morning to make breakfast and she was spending the day with the girls.

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Engine 51 was parked outside the funeral home, stripped of its hoses, ready to carry Capp to his final resting place.

"Hey, guys..." he said to Andy and Jesse. "Look how clean that engine is..."

Andy and Jesse had been polishing chrome on the trucks since they were old enough to stand.

"_That's_ what Uncle Matt's gonna expect next time you go down to the firehouse." Kelly said with a hint of a tired grin.

Even though he was exhausted, Kelly hadn't slept the night before. For one thing...the pain was just _gnawing_ at him...but he kept replaying the fire in his mind every time he closed his eyes. He could see the plaster coming down...he remembered his upper body muscles straining to try and lift it off Capp's back...and he could see the men carrying their fallen brother out of the rubble.

And even though he had been sharp with her the night before, Kelly was grateful for Alyssa's hand on his back as they made their way inside.

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Chief and Casey were there with Capp's brothers and his oldest sister, going over the arrangements.

Capp wasn't very religious, so they were going to process immediately to the cemetery and have a short service in the Chapel there. The men from 51 were going to serve as pallbearers with Casey and Severide as the officers in charge.

Hermann, Mills, Cruz, Otis, Clarke and Tony...the quiet fifth member of the squad would actually carry the coffin, and Mouch and Vargas were going to walk with them. They had served with Capp for so long, it would have been wrong to leave them out.

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There were even more people than there had been the night before...if that was even possible.

Kelly took his place up front beside Casey and the Chief, while Alyssa, Benny and the boys slipped into seats behind the three rows of family.

The department Chaplain said a few words...and then hundreds of people began to file past the casket.

As his family past by, Kelly reached out to squeeze Alyssa's hand as she filed out with his dad and the twins. He knew she was worried about how he was going to do all that was expected of him. They'd made some changes to the usual protocol so he could participate...but it was still gonna be a long day.

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After the family had left the chapel the undertakers closed the casket, and Kelly looked away. He could never watch that part...when he was about Andy and Jesse's age his Grandpa Kelly had passed away and he watched them close the casket...covering his grandpa with a shroud, closing the lid. He'd felt like he was suffocating...and for weeks afterward he'd wake up in the middle of the night gasping for breath.

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Once that unpleasant job was done, the men took their places. Chief led the men, followed by his Lieutenants...and the eight pallbearers lifted the casket onto Engine 51. Then they climbed aboard, while the Chief, Casey and Severide rode in the Battalion car.

The funeral procession past slowly by Station 51, where black bunting was draped across the front of the house and the flag was flying at half mast. The members of Red Watch stood out front at attention, and saluted as the engine rolled past.

At the entrance to Irving Park Cemetery, there were two fire trucks parked, their ladders raised, crossing to form an archway that the procession had to pass through. There was another honor guard posted in their full dress uniforms standing at attention as they entered the gates.

They wound through the roads...specifically passing by the monument "Dedicated to Those Who Serve and Protect"...and Kelly read the words "They Gave the Supreme Sacrifice...Thank You for Your Work and Dedication".

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When they reached the Chapel the bagpipers began to play "Amazing Grace"...and Hermann, Cruz, Otis, Mills and the others lifted Capp down from Engine 51 and Chief Boden led the procession into the tiny room. There was no way everybody was going to fit...but Kelly was glad to see Alyssa got in with the boys.

The Chaplain read the 23rd Psalm...

"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want... He makes me lie down in green pastures...  
he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul...He guides me along the path of righteousness  
for his name's sake...And even though I walk through the valley of the Shadow of Death, I fear no harm...For you are with me...Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me."

And Chief Boden delivered the Eulogy.

"Firefighter Capp served at Station 51 for nearly twenty years...ever since he became a member of Squad 3. Time and time again...he put himself in harm's way for the people of this city...because that was his job. But being a firefighter's more than a job...it's a calling. And we were all very fortunate that Capp was brave enough to answer that call. We're better firefighters for having served with him...we're better people for having known him...and we grieve for our brother. The CFD is a family...the same as any other...it's a family forged in fire...and that fire makes us stronger."

Finally, Boden walked over to a silver bell placed beside the coffin. This was the final honor they'd perform for Capp.

"Throughout most of history, the lives of firefighters have been closely associated with the ringing of a bell. As they began their hours of duty, it was the bell that started if off. Through the day and night, each alarm was sounded by a bell, that called them to fight fire and to place their lives in jeopardy for the good of their fellow man. And when the fire was out, and the alarm had come to an end, the bell rang three times to signal the end. And now our brother has completed his task, his duties well done, and the bell rings three times in memory of, and, in tribute to, his life and service."

He rang the bell...one...two...three...times.

When the last notes faded out, the crowd began to file out of the space.

Capp's sister reached out to touch the casket with tears in her eyes...and his brother David broke down. Kenny held out his arms to his oldest sister...and led her out of the chapel.

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Once the family had said their good-byes, Chief called the company to attention...and dismissed them.

The firefighters filed past the casket.

Mills reached out and laid his hand on it.

"Gonna miss you..." he said softly.

"So long, Buddy..." Hermann said as he touched it.

"Keep an eye on us..." Cruz mumbled as he made the Sign of the Cross.

Kelly felt a hand on his arm...and he saw his wife standing beside him.

He turned awkwardly to hug her close...and then he steadied himself on his crutches again. With her hand on his back he hobbled forward a few steps...and just stood beside his friend.

It was the worst feeling...a crushing weight. To lose a brother like this...the last time it had been Darden. That was fifteen years ago now...a lifetime, it seemed. But that loss was just as fresh today as it had been the day of Andy's funeral.

Now Capp was with him.

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It was late in the afternoon by the time they got home.

Even the twins were exhausted as they trudged into the house.

Nonna was in the kitchen, a pot simmering on the stove, a loaf of fresh bread sitting on the counter, and a plate of lemon cookies right beside it.

She held out her arms to Andy and then to Jesse as they leaned down to kiss her cheek.

"Such big boys..." she marveled. "Go on upstairs and change outta these clothes..."

"Mom already told us, Nonna." Andy said..

"Then whaddya standin' here for? Listen to your mama." Nadine said as she shooed the twins out of the kitchen.

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Kelly and Alyssa came through the back door and Nadine' eyes narrowed as she watched her daughter and her son-in-law...and she felt a wave of guilt wash over her.

Alyssa and Kelly had been married almost thirteen years, but for the first ten, Nadine was so caught up in her own little fantasy...in the need to control everything in her daughter's life that she had never given Kelly a chance. She'd never opened her eyes to the man that loved her baby girl. It took him almost dying to get her to finally see the light.

She had extended an olive branch to Alyssa when Kelly was in the hospital and now she was doing her best to try and get to know him. But Kelly was still very guarded. He was trying too though. He always answered any direct questions his mother-in-law put to him...but he never volunteered any information on his own.

Fortunately, actions spoke louder than words...and Nadine saw that what Alyssa had told her was true. Kelly treated her _Bambina_ like a queen. He never passed up an opportunity to kiss his wife, or to touch her...or let her know how much he loved her. She saw what kind of father he was...and how Andy and Jesse looked up to Kelly...and tried to do everything he did. Maggie and Lexi adored him...and the little girls eyes sparkled whenever he walked in the room.

But right now he looked absolutely exhausted...and Alyssa's brow was creased with worry lines.

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"How'd everything go here today, Ma?" Lyssa asked.

"Perfect...those little girls were good as gold." Nadine replied. "And...oh my...that little Lexi can eat!"

Little Lexi's parents smiled

"She sure can." Alyssa laughed. "I think she eats almost as much as Andy."

Nadine changed the subject.

"I got to watch some of the funeral on the TV. You had quite a turnout...NBC said there were almost two hundred cars."

"I'm not surprised." Alyssa said.

There was an awkward silence...where did you go from there?

"Why don't you go upstairs and lie down for a couple hours?" Nadine suggested. "You both look like you could use it."

"Don't you wanna get home?"

Nadine just waved her hands.

"Maggie and Lexi and I didn't get to play with all the fairy tale dolls...we still have to do Little Red Riding Hood." she said. "And I made chicken and tortellini, so I'll feed the kids dinner...you rest, _Bambina_..."

Alyssa crossed the kitchen to hug her mother.

"Thanks, Ma..." she whispered.

"You just take care of your husband..."Nadine said in a low voice. "He needs you."

Lyssa just nodded...and she went back to Kelly's side.

"C'mon, Honey..." she said.

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As they slowly made their way up the stairs to their bedroom, Andy and Jesse came out of their room carrying their dress clothes.

"We'll put these in the laundry room, Mom." Jesse said.

"Okay..."Lyssa said.

She'd take them to the dry cleaners...along with Kelly's dress uniform in the next couple of days. Once things settled down.

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After she helped him change into sweats and a t-shirt Kelly groaned as Alyssa helped him into bed. He was completely wiped...both physically and emotionally. He caught her hand in his and tugged her down to down to sit beside him.

Alyssa began to rub his shoulders...

"It's gonna be okay." she whispered. "Just try and relax."

But that was easier said than done.

"Can I get you anything, Kelly?" she asked.

It broke her heart to see him like this, especially when so much of his pain was emotional, and no amount of medication, ice or bandages would help that.

"Just stay with me." he whispered softly.

She leaned in to kiss him gently.

"Let me change out of these clothes, okay?"

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Kelly watched his wife change out of her black and grey knit dress into yoga pants and one of his old sweatshirts. Then she climbed up on her side of the bed, bringing the blanket they kept folded over the footboard with her. She wrapped the both of them in it...and finally laid down with her head against his shoulder.

He hugged her tight...pulling her as close to him as he could and tangled his fingers in her long, brown hair. He pressed a kiss on her forehead and let himself inhaled the scent of lemon shampoo. And Alyssa gently traced those lazy, soothing circles over his chest..just thinking of all the things she still had to do.

Tomorrow morning Kelly had a doctor's appointment. With everything that had been going on with the wake and the funeral, she had to reschedule it. But hopefully now they could get the tests they needed...and get some answers.

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Kelly was saying something...something about wanting to take the kids someplace warm.

"We'll see, Honey..." she said. "Let's see what the doctor says tomorrow."

"I just wanna get outta here." he said, so softly that Alyssa wasn't sure he wanted her to hear. "Outta the city...outta the cold. I'm so cold."

Her heart hurt for him. But there was nothing she could do...except hold him tighter.


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30**

One thing in this world you could always count on was family. Especially when that family was the CFD. And when one member of that family needed help...everyone rallied around and circled the wagons.

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Since Black Watch was on shift the morning after the funeral, Mouch arrived right after breakfast to take Maggie to pre-school. Maggie loved having Uncle Mouch all to herself.

When they walked to school they usually played some kind of game. Maybe Uncle Mouch would ask her what word started with the letter "B" when they passed the street sign at the corner of Byron and Meade. And Maggie would tell him "Ball"...then she asked him to think of a "B" word.

"So what game do you wanna play today, Sweetie?" Mouch asked as they walked down Byron.

"Wanna play "I Spy"!" Maggie squealed.

"I Spy..." Mouch mused. "That's one of my favorites. Okay...ladies first."

Maggie looked around..

"I spy with my little eye...a mailbox!"

She pointed to the blue mailbox at the corner of Byron and Meade.

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At home, Lyssa gave Lexi a bath and got her dressed. Then she brought the baby into her and Kelly's room and plopped her down in the middle of the queen sized bed. Then she went to get a pile of books and a few toys.

"Okay, Missy..." she said. "Where are you?"

"Inna big boat in da mid-dole a da yake!" Lexi squealed happily as she clapped her hands.

"And what are you gonna do?" Kelly asked.

"Wait for Daddy to come reck-soo me!"

"That's right." he told her. "Don't you move till Mommy and I come back."

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Alyssa helped Kelly out of bed and followed him to the bathroom where she helped him undress...and she covered the splint with a plastic covering.

"Hopefully you can get rid of that thing today." she said as she helped him into the shower.

Kelly shook his head.

"They'll just put a cast on it..." he said, not sounding all that thrilled.

"Maybe they'll give you a boot so you can start trying to walk on it."

But he shook his head again.

"No way in hell am I gonna be able to walk on this...not for a while at least."

She stepped into the shower with him and slid her arms around him. They just hung onto one another while the hot water rained down on them.

Alyssa knew he was anxious about what the doctor might say. He was sure his ankle and probably his foot were broken. That meant months of medical furlough...and rehab. Kelly had been with the department just over twenty six years...twenty four of them on Squad...and every time he had gotten hurt, or an old injury started acting up they all held their breath waiting to see how everything was going to shake out.

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They couldn't spend as much time in the shower as they would have liked to...not when they had a little girl stranded in a big boat in the middle of the lake waiting to be rescued.

Lyssa stepped out of the shower and wrapped herself in her big terry-cloth bathrobe, then she handed Kelly a towel. He wrapped it tight around his waist and steeled himself for the next part.

Bracing one hand against the shower door and holding onto Alyssa with the other he set his injured foot on the bath rug, then shifted his weight just enough to step out of the shower. He grabbed Lyssa with both hands and took the weight off his right foot as quickly as he could.

He took several deep breaths, in through his nose, out through his mouth. He closed his eyes and tried to block out the pain and pull himself together.

"You okay, Baby?" Lyssa whispered.

Kelly let his breath out slowly and opened his eyes.

"That hurt." he said softly.

Alyssa patted his chest and shoulders dry with a towel. She knew how badly he hurt...and she desperately wished she could do something to take that hurt away.

"I love you, Kelly." she told him.

"I know you do..." he said.

Time and time again...that was the only thing that got him through things like this. The fact that no matter what happened, he had his wife...they had their kids...and their family...that was all that really mattered.

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In the bedroom they could hear Lexi singing to herself.

It was just so cute, they both had to smile.

"We better go get her." Kelly said.

Lyssa helped him into his shorts, then he pulled a shirt over his head and grabbed his crutches.

"I'm coming to rescue you..." he said as he made his way over to the bed.

Lexi stopped her singing and looked up at him with an enormous smile that stretched from ear to ear.

Kelly lowered himself to sit down and Alyssa brought a pair of sweats. She helped him put them on...and then he repositioned himself on the bed an held out his arms for the baby.

"Let's see what books you've got." he said.

Lexi scampered over to him and started handing him book after book. He glanced at the titles until he found one he wanted to read.

"Here we go..."If You Give a Mouse a Cookie"..."

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While Kelly read to Lexi, Lyssa pulled on a pair of jeans and her black and pink long sleeve t-shirt with a Paris street scene on the front.

Her husband glanced at her over the top of the book as she dried her long, brown hair.

Lyssa'd never been to Paris...but that was her dream vacation...that and Italy. Little did she know what he was planning for their fifteenth anniversary in a couple of years.

But first things first. And first they had to get through this doctor's appointment.

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"What we do today, Daddy?" Lexi asked, as if on cue.

Every day, all week long, they had been going one place or another. The hospital...the wake...the funeral.

"You're gonna hang out with Uncle Mouch today." Kelly told her. "While your mom takes me to the doctor so we can find out what's wrong with my foot."

"Got big owie..."

Kelly chuckled.

If only it was that simple.

"Yeah, you're right." he said. "But I hope the doctor can tell us when it's gonna be better. And maybe he'll put a different kind of bandage on it."

Alyssa came over to them.

"Ready to go downstairs?" she asked.

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She was cleaning up the kitchen when Mouch came in the back door...back from walking Maggie to school.

"Morning, Alyssa..." he said. "Again."

Lyssa dried her hands on a towel and hugged the old firefighter tight.

"What's that for?" Mouch asked. "Not that I'm complaining..."

"To say 'thank-you'." Alyssa told him. "I really appreciate you helping out with Maggie and Lexi like this."

"Psshh..." Mouch said with a wave of his hand. "It's no problem...kids are what keeps you young."

"You might feel different come tomorrow..." Alyssa teased gently.

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Their conversation was interrupted by the slap-slap-slap of little shoes across the hardwood floor.

"Ucky Mouse!" Lexi cried as she came running into the kitchen. "Ucky Mouse pway?"

What were uncles for, it not to play?

"Of course I wanna play..." Mouch told her. "That's what I came for."

Lexi ran over and grabbed Mouch by one finger an started tugging him toward the four seasons room.

"What are we gonna play?" he asked.

"Pway fi-haus! Pink fi-haus!"

"Pink firehouse...I should have guessed." Mouch said...slapping his palm to his forehead...like the answer should have been that obvious.

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Alyssa chuckled to herself as she went to get Kelly from the living room

"We'd better get a move on..." she told him.

Traffic going downtown was horrendous this time of day.

She helped him up off the couch and she got a little worried when she saw the expression on his face.

"You okay?" she asked.

"Yeah..." he answered distractedly.

It was upsetting how quickly he got to the point of needing her for everything. Barely a week ago, the bells had gone off...he'd thrown on fifty pounds of gear...and jumped in the Squad to go to a fire. Now he was looking to his wife to help him get dressed, to shower, sit down, get up...upsetting. No, worse than upsetting. Damn depressing.

As usual, Alyssa seemed to read his mind.

"C'mon, Kelly..." she said gently, laying her hand on his back. "Let's go."

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"Wheee-ooohhh!...Wheee-ooohhh!...Wheee-ooohhh!"

They could hear Lexi before they were even halfway across the room.

"Sounds like a level three...at least." Alyssa observed wryly.

"Four..." Kelly countered. "Minimum."

"Wheee-ooohhh!...Wheee-ooohhh!...Wheee-ooohhh!"

"Make that a level five." Lyssa said.

Out in the four seasons room, Lexi and Mouch were on the floor. Lexi has her pink fire trucks and her all girl crew decked out in their pink gear, while Mouch was from the old school. He had the mini Truck 81 from Andy and Jesse's firehouse...and the little firefighter with his name on the back of his bunker jacket. They were parked in front of a "scene"...made up of Maggie's big pink dollhouse, Lexi's smaller version, and the little doll-sized ice cream shop, dance studio and pet salon.

"Whaddya got here?" Kelly asked as he hobbled into the play room.

Mouch looked up somewhat sheepishly.

"Big fire in the high rise, Lieutenant." he said. "Gotta knock it down if we hope to save the surrounding structures."

"Hey!" Lexi interrupted. "Put wet 'tuff on hot 'tuff!"

Apparently there was no time for socializing. Not when they had a fire to fight.

"Yes ma'am!" Mouch said as his little firefighter turned the little "hose" on the pink dollhouse.

Kelly couldn't help but laugh.

"Well...carry on, you two..." he said. "We'll be back later."

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Veronica hunted through the fridge. This was a disaster. there was barely a crumb left in the house.

Trey had only been out of the hospital three days...he wasn't well enough to go to the store. What were they going to do? She was too stupid to be trusted to get everything right...the way he needed it. The meat had to be cut a certain way...the cheese...she never bought the right brands. She was always trying to scrimp...and feeding him inferior food. Was that any way to treat a man who put his life on the line every single day?

Don't even get him started on the produce. Every piece she ever bought was either too hard or practically rotten.

What was she going to do?

She would have to talk to him.

Veronica took a deep breath and stood up straighter. As she made her way toward the bedroom though, that little burst of courage flew away like a leaf in the wind.

Making sure to stay out of his line of sight, she checked the reflection in the mirror over the dresser on the wall opposite the bed.

Trey was awake.

'You can do this...' she told herself. 'You can do this.'

Alyssa probably never had to sneak around Kelly like this...

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Kelly was trying to relax as they waited for Dr. Darrow, the foot and ankle specialist from the ortho group they used. He'd already gotten a new set of x-rays taken...and now they just had to wait for the doctor to read them.

Alyssa stood beside the exam table, just rubbing his shoulder, trying her best to offer him some comfort.

She couldn't help but think six months ago they'd been sitting in another examining room right down the hall waiting for the shoulder specialist to tell them whether or not she was finished with her treatments.

Too damn much time in doctors' offices and hospitals.

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Veronica knocked on the bedroom door.

"Trey?" she whispered.

"Whaddya want?" he growled. "Can't you see I need my rest?"

She swallowed hard.

"We're low on everything in the kitchen..." she said. "Would you like me to make a list and go to the store?"

"You?" he snapped. "You think _you_ can do the grocery shopping? You_ never_ get anything right! And how are you planning to get there?"

"Can I maybe borrow your car?"

"What?"

He threw back the covers and got out of bed.

"You wanna take _my car_!?" he asked incredulously. "Are you outta your goddamn mind? You think I'd let an idiot get behind the wheel of _my_ car?"

"I know how to drive..." she protested.

The sound of a slap echoed through the air.

"You're not taking my car." he said.

He started pulling clothes out of the dresser drawers.

"You're such a fucking bitch..." he ranted. "I just get out of the hospital...and I have to do everything around here. Stupid...lazy...cunt!"

He stuffed his feet into his shoes.

"Trey...I know you need your rest..." she protested. "I can do it...I just..."

He turned around and laughed...an evil, sadistic laugh...

"You...I shudder to think what you'd bring back. Half rotten fruit...cheap cereal...there's a reason I had to take over the shopping...remember? Because you're an incompetent...lazy...stupid...good-for-nothing..."

He grabbed his jacket and stomped out the door...slamming it so hard behind him the frame rattled.

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Alyssa and Kelly left the doctor's office with a boot...a book of exercises for him to start...and appointment slips for a CT and an MRI.

The x-rays didn't show a break...but he had a massive soft tissue injury. When the doctor took the mold off Kelly's entire foot and ankle were almost black with bruises. It was still swollen...and he couldn't move it without seeing stars.

He couldn't tolerate the boot right now...the straps cut across the most tender spot of all. So that would have to wait...for right now he just had his foot wrapped in a couple of ACE bandages.

Alyssa made another appointment for two weeks...and they headed over to the hospital to get the rest of the tests.

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Over at the house, Lexi had to stop fighting fires long enough to go get her big sister from school. Uncle Mouch dressed her in her pink coat...hat...mittens...and buckled her into the stroller. Then he tucked a furry blanket around her for good measure.

They had their own game they played as they walked down Byron...Lexi, at the age of not quite two and a half...could recognize every car make by its hood ornament.

"Hah-da!" she squealed, pointing to an Accord.

She pointed to another car.

"Fode!" she hollered. "Toy-o-ta!"

And Mouch just chuckled to himself...and tried to figure out how he was going to combine this with a game Maggie wouldn't hate.

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Trey slammed into the apartment with the same fury he'd slammed out of with.

Veronica jumped as the door shook on its hinges...and she turned around to see him empty handed.

"Where's the food?" she asked.

He looked at her like she'd grown another head.

"In the car."

"Why didn't you bring anything up?"

In response he whipped the keys at her.

She screamed as they hit her in the face, missing her eye by millimeters.

"You expect me to carry twenty-some bags up three flights of stairs?" he demanded. "It's bad _enough_ I had to go to the store...when I'm supposed to be on _medical furlough_..._and_ drop over two hundred dollars...you want me to haul the stuff in too? You ungrateful bitch!"

Veronica was sobbing.

"Go out and get the stuff!" he screamed.

And he stormed off to the bedroom and slammed the door yet again.

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Kelly and Alyssa came through the four seasons room...and they heard laughter from the living room.

They passed through the kitchen and the dining room to find Mouch, Maggie and Lexi having a picnic on the floor.

Lexi was reaching for a cookie...surprise, surprise.

"Daddy!" she cried when she saw Kelly. "We have pic-nic!"

"I see..." Kelly said. "Did you have any lunch...or did you go right to dessert?"

"She had pineapple...cantaloupe...and grapes." Mouch said. "And about a dozen cheese cubes."

Kelly shook his head from side to side...it wasn't a great lunch...but better than nothing.

Lexi finished her cookie.

"Ucky Mouse pway?" she asked.

"It's not Mouse, Lexi..." Maggie corrected her. "It's Mou-_ch_. Uncle Mou_ch_."

She put a hard emphasis on the _'ch'_ sound.

"Mouse..." Lexi said. "Ucky Mouse..."

She had said it right...she didn't know what Maggie was getting all worked up about.

"M-O-U-C-H..." Maggie said again...drawing it out, emphasizing each sound.

"Mouse."

Maggie sighed in exasperation and turned to Kelly.

"Daddy..."she said seriously. "You better send Lexi to school...so she can learn to talk gooder!"


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31**

Wilson couldn't sleep. He was nothing but raw nerves...because today was his appointment with Occupational Health to see if he'd be cleared to return to duty.

It had been two weeks since the fire at the flop house...or whatever the politically correct term was for those kind of paces. They should have just let the thing burn to the ground. It would have been like performing a public service.

Now they were gonna be watching him...even closer than before. He just knew Boden and Casey were looking for any excuse to ding him. Nobody had even bothered to call the whole time he'd been out...and except for Chief and the Lieutenants coming up to his room at the hospital, nobody'd been around to see him.

What kind of brotherhood was that?

They were prob'ly all busy fawning over Severide.

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The sun was just coming up when Alyssa and Kelly heard someone crying.

Lyssa jumped out of bed and hurried out into the hall. She followed the sound to the girls room...Lexi was crying...

"C'mere Sweetie..." she whispered as she scooped the baby from the crib.

Lexi screamed louder.

"Shhhh...Baby...Mommy's here." she soothed. "Mommy's got you..."

She grabbed Lexi's blankie and carried her out of the room so she wouldn't wake Maggie.

She continued to try and comfort her as she made her way back to her and Kelly's room.

"What's the matter?" Kelly asked, as he propped himself up.

"She's really hot..." Alyssa said as she handed the baby over to him.

Lexi cried as she changed positions...and then she laid her head against Kelly's chest.

"Lyssa...she's burnin' up." he said.

Alyssa went to the bathroom and got the Children's Motrin and the thermometer. When she came back she turned on the lamp on Kelly's nightstand and drew up a dose of medicine for Lexi...who was laying listlessly in his arms...just occasionally letting out a heartbreaking sound that let them know she was absolutely miserable.

When Alyssa tried to put the thermometer in the baby's ear she shrieked.

"Okay...okay..." Kelly said quickly pulling her away. "We won't do that..."

"She's prob'ly got an ear infection." Lyssa said.

She went back to the bathroom and soaked clean washcloth in tepid water and she began to sponge Lexi down.

"Firsty..." Lexi said in a tiny voice.

"Mommy'll go get you some water..." Lyssa said soothingly.

When Alyssa left the room to go downstairs, Kelly shifted the baby in his arms.

"Shhh...it's okay, Sweet Girl...Mommy and Daddy're gonna take good care of you..."

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"Do you want me to go with you to your appointment?" Veronica asked.

"Why would I do that?" Trey asked.

"I just thought...maybe you'd want someone there..." she said. "Kelly said Alyssa always goes with him when..."

"So you think I'm some kind of wuss?" Trey spat at her.

Why had she even suggested it?

She thought she was being supportive...like Lyssa was for Kelly. She might have known Trey would take it as some kind of affront.

"You think I'd take you down there? Where I might run into people I_ know_?" he sneered. "Look at you...you're a mess. Your hair...your clothes..."

"But you did this!" she hurled at him, suddenly angry. "I looked perfectly fine till you did this to me!"

Again, why did she open up her mouth?

Suddenly his hand was around her throat...and he was shoving her back against the wall.

"What'd you say, Bitch!"

Veronica was gasping for air...why was he doing this? It was like he wanted to kill her...what had she done to deserve this?

Alyssa was right...this wasn't love...this was pure hatred.

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As quickly as he'd grabbed her...Trey let her go and she fell to the floor...clawing at her throat...trying to get air into her lungs.

She managed to crawl away...and she huddled in the corner against the wall...waiting for whatever was coming next.

"That's right! Crawl away like a goddamn dog! Perfect...Bitch! You finally got something right!"

He started tearing around the apartment. He grabbed her jacket...the one she'd gotten at Helping Hands. It was a nice, charcoal grey wool...well made...good quality. She hadn't had a coat that nice in years.

He went back to the kitchen and pulled out the knife...and started hacking the coat to pieces. And Veronica just watched...with tears running down her face.

Once the jacket was dead, he whipped it at her.

She couldn't go anywhere now...it was January...and she didn't have a coat.

That was how he was going to keep her from leaving...

And for good measure, he grabbed her shoes and he stormed out of the apartment...leaving her to wonder how she had messed up her life so badly.

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Kelly and Alyssa sat in the pediatrician's office with Lexi.

Alyssa had tried to convince him to stay home...she could handle it. It wasn't like that one time when Jesse had gotten so sick he was listless as a rag doll and she couldn't carry him. But Kelly flat out said 'no way'...and Leslie had come to stay with Maggie.

It turned out to be for the best...Lexi only wanted her daddy to hold her anyway.

Dr. Messina came into the room.

"What do we have here?" she asked. "Looks like a pretty sick little girl."

"She woke up around five..." Alyssa said. "She was running a fever...I couldn't get a temp, because our thermometer goes in her ear. But I gave her a dose of Motrin at five and a dose of Tylenol at nine."

"Is she drinking?" the doctor asked. "Wet diapers?"

"She's had water and juice...and Kelly was able to get her to eat some yogurt." Lyssa told her. "And she's had two wet diapers since she woke up."

"Okay...Lexi?" Dr. Messina said. "You want to come up on my table?"

"Noooo..." Lexi whimpered. "Daddy..."

"Daddy's right here, Baby..." Kelly said gently. "Daddy's not goin' anywhere?"

"Can you turn her around?" the doctor asked. "I'll just examine her right here."

Lexi didn't want to move...and she cried when Kelly turned her in his arms so her back was resting against his chest.

"Shhh...shhh..."he whispered. "The doctor's gonna check you out...Daddy's right here..."

The doctor did her exam...listening to the baby's lungs...looking down her throat...and looking in her ears.

"Well, she's got an ear infection...no doubt about that." Dr. Messina said. "Both ears in fact. Her throat looks pretty red as well. I'd like to get a strep test...and I'm going to give her a shot of Rocephin right now. That's a broad spectrum antibiotic...just to get some medication on board as soon as possible. I'll give you a prescription for Augmentin...and keep alternating the Tylenol and the Motrin. If you can get her to drink some Pedialyte that would be great...otherwise just keep pushing fluids. Popsicles...whatever you can get her to take."

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Trey came back after his appointment with a bunch of bags from Home Depot.

Veronica watched wordlessly as he methodically moved through the apartment. He drove four inch nails into the windows...nailing them shut from the inside. He did the two in the front room...the two in the bedroom...and the one in the bathroom.

Then he put a padlock on the back door...and snapped it shut.

She watched in horror as he opened the front door...and installed the same hardware on the outside.

Oh, God...he was going to lock her in! When he went to work, he was going to trap her in the apartment...with no way to get out. He'd already smashed her phone to pieces...and he ripped the land line out. He took his phone everywhere he went...and he took his laptop with him when he went to the firehouse. He was going to leave her locked up like an animal...with no connection to the outside world.

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Leslie took Lexi from Alyssa as soon as they came through the door.

It had been a long morning and the exhausted little girl had finally fallen asleep on the way home from the pharmacy.

After the doctor's office they had gone to Walgreen's to fill the prescription and get a refill on Kelly's pain meds.

Lyssa had wanted them to stay in the car, but Lexi was crying for Daddy and there just wasn't a lot of room. So she had carried the baby into the store while Kelly followed close behind. They headed to the back of the store...and Kelly took a seat in the Pharmacy waiting area...setting his crutches off to one side and unzipping his leather jacket. Then Alyssa handed Lexi to him and he opened her puffy, pink jacket so she didn't over heat.

The shot Dr. Messina had given her was a massive dose of antibiotic for a two and a half year old and she was already half asleep. While Lyssa went to the counter to fill the scripts, Kelly held Lexi, whispering to her that she was okay...Daddy was there...Daddy was holding her...smoothing back her brown hair.

And all the while blocking out his own discomfort. He hadn't been able to put his foot up for the past few hours...and the bandages he wore were starting to feel like a tourniquet.

Alyssa sank down in the chair beside him and put her right arm around his shoulders.

"How're you holdin' up?" she asked him.

He looked at her with tired eyes.

"I'll be glad to get home." he said honestly.

She reached over to touch Lexi's cheek.

"Her fever's come down a little." she said. "I asked them to move things along up there...we'll see if it actually happens."

There were about three people ahead of them.

"Okay..."

"I'm gonna go get the Pedialyte..." Alyssa told him. "And some extra Motrin and Tylenol. I'll grab some popsicles on the way out."

"Sounds like a plan..." Kelly said.

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When they got home Lyssa helped him with his jacket while Leslie undressed Lexi. Then Kelly slowly hobbled out to the living room and lowered himself onto the massive sectional couch. He had to bite the insides of his cheeks as Alyssa gently lifted his foot onto the sofa, then onto one of the boys' big body pillows folded in half.

"Can you take the bandages off?" he asked. "Just for a little while?"

"Whatever you want, Honey."

Getting those bandages off was a huge relief and Alyssa went to get him an ice pack and his medicine. She passed Leslie, who was carrying Lexi toward the stairs.

"Shay...bring her here." Kelly said.

Shay brought the baby into the living room and Kelly reached out to take her.

"Laying down'll make too much pressure in her ears." he said, as he settled Lexi on his shoulder.

In her sleep, she closed her little fist around a handful of his shirt...and Kelly reached for her pink blankie to cover her up.

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Shay curled up in the corner of the couch and just watched her best friend.

She and Kelly had known each other more than twenty years...and she'd been with him through the wild and crazy times. He'd been there to pick up the pieces time and time again whenever she got her heart broken...and she'd watched the seemingly endless parade of women that went in and out their apartment door.

She had realized he was in love with Alyssa even before he had...and she had been there when Alyssa was attacked in her old apartment. She and Gabby had worked furiously to stabilize her and get her to the hospital...and they'd stayed all the time she was in surgery.

Shay had watched Kelly that horrible night...and she could see how he was absolutely torn apart. His face had been contorted in a mixture of fear, hurt, anger...and he didn't know what to do with himself.

Thank God it had all worked out. Alyssa had made almost a complete recovery and she and Kelly had made a wonderful life together. There had been plenty of bumps in the road...but Leslie knew these two were meant to be together. They were soul mates in every sense of the words.

Now watching Kelly hold and comfort their baby...she could see a sense of peace in his eyes.

Kelly felt Shay's eyes on him.

"What?" he asked.

Leslie shook her head.

"Nothin'..." she answered.


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter 32**

Trey Wilson squared his shoulders and marched up to the door of Station 51.

It had been three weeks since he'd last stepped foot inside the firehouse...three weeks since the fire at that Godforsaken motel in Lawndale...three weeks since his greatest humiliation.

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He had been so rattled...Veronica actin' so high and mighty...like she was some kind of career girl. She was more concerned with _the store_...that goddamn glorified garage sale...than she was with pleasing her man.

He'd had to put her in her place...show her who was boss.

Then Severide came in demanding to know what was going on with her...like just because she'd lived in his house for six weeks he had some kind of _say_ in her life. Like it was any of his business what Wilson did with _his_ woman in the privacy of _his_ home. It had felt so good to just stick it to the Lieutenant...to see his face when Wilson said Veronica was going on to something else...something that didn't include Severide and his precious family.

Then the bells had gone off...and Casey was treating him like a rookie who didn't know his ass from a hole in the ground...it was so embarrassing. So embarrassing that he just yanked his mask on, and he dislodged the filter mechanism. After a while the smoke had been too much...he started getting light-headed, then dizzy...then his eyes and ears started playing tricks on him. He'd wandered off and he passed out...and Squad had to come rescue _him_.

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He had to pull it together...he couldn't let them see even one shred of weakness, of uncertainty, of doubt in him.

It couldn't be like last night.

He was so nervous he must have packed and repacked his bag a dozen times.

Veronica offered to do it for him...and he laughed in her face.

Like she could get that right? She couldn't get anything right.

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Just that morning she had only put twenty-two raisins in his oatmeal..._twenty-two_...when she knew damn well there were supposed to be twenty-four. He'd eaten the last raisin and there were still at least two more...maybe_ three_ spoons full in the bowl.

"That's all the raisins that were in the box!" she cried, ducking out of the way as the bowl went flying past her head.

"Were you eating them?" he demanded. "Were you eating _my _food!?"

"No!"

He pulled back and took a sip of his coffee...and spat it out.

That was all wrong too.

"And you put too much sugar in the coffee, Bitch!" he yelled.

"I put two packets! I swear to God I did!"

He looked down at the mug.

It was the mug. That was the problem. Ever since his Navy mug got broken...the coffee had been all wrong. The proportions were all off...coffee to sugar...to milk...all wrong!

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He hurled that across the room too.

Veronica screamed again as hot liquid splashed on her arm.

"Is it too much to ask that I get a decent breakfast?!" Trey demanded. "My first day back at work...and I can't even have a decent breakfast!"

He paced back and forth, raking his fingers through his hair.

"I nearly got_ killed_! I put my_ life_ on the line...every single_ day_...I should have some peace in my own house!" he railed. "But _no_...instead I can't even get a decent cup of coffee because you're too stupid to make it right!"

He turned on her.

"This is the thanks I get?" he hollered. "I could_ die_..._DIE_!...and I should have everything exactly the way I want it!"

"And Kelly got hurt..."she whispered. "And Capp did die."

Suddenly, Trey was flying across the room.

He reared back, and the next thing Veronica knew she was sliding down the wall amid splattered coffee and shattered glass.

Trey was shaking with fury.

"Don't ever bring that up again!" he shouted. "I never want to hear _either_ of their names in this house again."

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He grabbed her by what little hair had grown back out and yanked Veronica to her feet.

"Did you sleep with him!?"

Her eyes went wide with fear.

"Who?" she asked. "I didn't sleep with anyone!"

Trey bared his teeth as he got right in her face.

"With Kelly!" he sneered. "You slept with him, didn't you? That's why you're always talking about him!"

"No!" Veronica cried. "He's totally in love with Alyssa! He'd never cheat on her!"

"But you'd like it, wouldn't you?!" he said. "You're all hot and bothered for him...you like to sleep with him! You're just creaming in your jeans at the thought of it!"

Veronica's voice came out of nowhere. It didn't even sound like her voice.

"What I want is a man who treats a woman with respect!" she said...loud and clear. "I want a man who can appreciate everything I can bring to the table...who talks to me like I've got an intelligent thought in my head! Someone who treats me as an equal..."

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Suddenly, her air was cut off mid sentence.

Trey had both hands around her throat...and a cold, dark, empty, murderous look in his eyes.

"You think you deserve to be treated like an equal?" he hollered. "You think you're equal to _me_?! Let me tell you something! _Kelly_...he's not a man. He doesn't control his woman! He just hands over his balls when he walks in the door!"

He slammed her back against the wall...so hard her teeth rattled in her head.

"I'm ten times..._no_...a _hundred_ times the man _Kelly_ is!" he said. "And don't you _ever_ forget it!"

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There was no one in the locker room as Trey changed out of his street clothes and stowed his stuff in his locker. He slammed it shut...snapped the lock...just like he had the one on the apartment door when he left...and strode out to the common room.

It was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Somehow Wilson didn't think they were all waiting to yell "surprise".

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"It's not your fault, Lieutenant."

Wilson heard Hermann's voice and he pressed his back up against the wall beside the open door.

"If anyone's to blame, it's him." Hermann went on. "Stupid putz didn't get his mask on right...put the whole company in danger."

They were talking about him...Trey realized. The men were blaming him for what had happened!

"Hermann's right, Lieutenant." Cruz said.

There was a moment of silence.

Was Casey gonna agree with them...that it had been Wilson's fault?

"No...no guys." Casey said finally. "I saw when we brought that old man out...I saw he wasn't a hundred percent. I knew something wasn't right. But I took him at his word. I took him at his word when he said he was okay. Even when my own eyes were tellin' me a different story."

"Doesn't surprise me..." Hermann said. "The guy can't tell the truth to save his life."

"Yeah..." Casey said, his voice heavy with guilt. "That's what I get for trusting a habitual liar."

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Back at home Kelly was climbing the walls.

Shay had told him Wilson was coming back today, and it was killing him that the SOB was there and he was stuck in the house.

This was the first time Alyssa had left him since he'd gotten hurt...but she'd run Lexi back to the doctor's office to have her ears rechecked. Kelly would have gone with...but they city had been hit with a major ice storm the night before. Going out on crutches would have been asinine.

So he just had to suck it up and fend for himself for an hour or two.

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Besides...it's not like he was totally alone.

The kids had a snow day because of the storm...and Maggie was out in the four seasons room playing with her dollhouse, the right way, thank-you very much, not having a pink fire truck save it from certain ruin.

Andy was downstairs, watching TV. He thought that was so neat...using all the screens...and having four cartoons going at the same time.

"Dad?" Jesse said, coming into the living room.

Jesse had been upstairs reading.

"What's up, Jess?" Kelly asked.

"I wanted to ask if I can get some books on my Kindle."

The twelve year old came across the room carrying the tablet his Uncle Matt had bought him for his birthday. Both boys had gotten them...but while Jesse was filling his up with books and maybe the odd game or two...Andy had nothing but games and instant videos on his.

Oh, and an ap called 'Atomic Fart' that Alyssa had made him erase.

After that Kelly had put passwords on them and the twins had to ask his or Alyssa's permission before they could download anything...because they were the only ones who knew the code.

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"Let me see..."

Jesse came to sit beside his dad on the couch and handed him the Kindle.

Kelly looked at the description of the book Jesse wanted. It was a book about the Chicago Fire in 1871.

"This is what you want?" he asked.

Jesse nodded enthusiastically.

"There's a couple more too...but...yeah."

"Is this for school or somethin'?"

This time Jesse kinda wagged his head back and forth.

"_Sorta_..." he answered.

Intrigued, Kelly shifted himself around to get a better look at his son.

"Whaddya mean "sorta"?" he said. "Is it for school or what?"

"It _might_ end up being for school, but I just wanna read it."

Kelly raised his eyebrows.

"Spill it, Jess."

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Jesse took a deep breath.

"I just finished readin' this book...and I really liked it. It's about a boy who gets lost on a class field trip to Ellis Island...in New York."

"I know where Ellis Island is." Kelly said.

"Well, anyway...he meets this boy his own age...but the boy is a ghost...and he takes the modern day boy sorta back in time to show him what is was like back then."

Kelly still didn't get the connection to the Chicago Fire.

"So I thought I could try it myself...to make up a story about a boy who gets lost on a field trip to a museum...like maybe the Field Museum or the Museum of Science and Industry...when his class goes to see an exhibit about the Fire. Then he meets a ghost who takes him back there. I thought maybe I could be the modern day boy...and maybe the ghost boy could have stuff in common with me...like maybe his dad was a firefighter too."

That actually sounded like a pretty neat idea. That might have even been a book Kelly would have actually wanted to read as a kid.

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When Alyssa came home with Lexi from the doctor, she found Kelly and Jesse spread out in the living room with the laptop, the Kindle, and a pile of books from the bookcase.

"What's goin' on in here?" she asked.

"Dey weadin', Mommy." Lexi said...like the answer should have been obvious.

"I can see that, Missy..." Alyssa said.

She turned to Kelly for an explanation.

"Jesse's workin' on a project..." he said. "And we're doin' some research."

"We?"

Kelly had pretty much backed off the school projects since the twin's third grade volcano project had turned into a colossal mess. He had been "helping" them make it bigger and better...and the chemicals ended up killing a huge section of grass out in the backyard.

It ended up being a very expensive project.

"Should I be concerned?" she asked.

"No...we're readin' up on the Chicago Fire!" Kelly told her. "It's _history_..."

Alyssa held up her hands.

"Okay...okay...I won't interrupt..."

She started taking Lexi's coat and hat and boots off.

"Oh..." Kelly said, looking up from the book he was reading. "What'd the doctor say?"

"She's fine..." Alyssa said. "The infection's gone. They took another throat culture, but the rapid strep was negative, so I'm not worried."

She picked Lexi up.

"I think our little girl's all better..." she said as she gave the baby a kiss and a snuggle.

Lexi giggled.

That was a great sound to hear.

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Later that night after all the kids were asleep, Alyssa helped Kelly into bed.

He had just done one last round with the exercises the doctor had given him to do.

He wasn't putting any weight on it yet...just moving it in different directions. But even that was still really painful.

He was frustrated. When you said it...that he had a bruised ankle...it sounded like a little nothing. A black and blue mark...no big deal...right? But it was a big deal. Three weeks, and he couldn't walk on it...he could barely even move it. It was still swollen...and it was still so tender that he couldn't stand that boot for more than a few minutes.

He just wanted to be able to get into rehab and do what he had to do to get back to Station 51...back to his Squad. They needed their leader now...and he needed to be there with his men.

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Lyssa crawled into bed beside him, and immediately began to trace those slow, lazy patterns across his bare chest.

"Whatcha thinkin', Honey?" she said.

"Just wonderin' what's goin' on at the house." Kelly said. "Shay told me Wilson was supposed to go back today."

"Kathy's been runnin' things down at the store." Alyssa told him. "She says Veronica hasn't been in at all. And I don't buy for one minute that story he told you about her lookin' for another job."

"I told Casey and Shay to keep their eyes and ears open...but I doubt he'll say anything in front of 'em."

"Can someone get his address out of his personnel jacket? And maybe do a wellness check or something? If we get the address maybe we can send Nicky."

Alyssa's older brother lived right across the street...and he was a TO for the Chicago Police Department.

"I'll call Chief in the morning..." Kelly said.

Alyssa wrapped her arms around him. He was worried about Veronica...but he was even more worried about his team.

Kelly'd served with Capp for nearly twenty years. He said the other day that he barely remembered when he'd last suited up for a water rescue and Capp wasn't there beside him. Capp had bought the first round when Severide was promoted to Lieutenant...they'd competed in the Firefighter's Challenge together...played softball...given each other shit around the pool table...and talked a bunch of trash while they changed money back and forth at the poker table.

"I love you, Kelly..." she said. "I love you so much it hurts sometimes."

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He looked over at her...and then he turned to face her.

"I know you do..." he told her.

And then he leaned closer and kissed her...gently...tenderly...at first...but then deeper and deeper. Suddenly he was hungry for that special closeness they hadn't shared in weeks...he needed to touch her...to feel her...every part of her.

He turned onto his back and bought Alyssa on top of him. Quickly, he slid his hands under his old Squad t-shirt she wore as a nightgown...and moments later it was on the floor.

The feeling of skin on skin heightened the sense of desire they were both feeling and they ran their hands over every inch of one another...their kisses growing deeper and deeper still.

After more than a dozen years together they both knew when the time was right...and the remaining barriers were stripped away.

They were as close as two lovers could be...physically...emotionally...in every way possible.

Kelly had never known it was possible to love one woman so much...he'd never imagined himself capable of it...until Alyssa had shown him.

And she continued to show him...every day.

Now she was beside him again, their bodies tangled together beneath the sheets. He could feel her heart beating...and he knew she could feel his. He drew in a deep breath...

"I love you, Lyssa..." he whispered in the darkness.


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter 33**

Kelly looked at himself in the bathroom mirror.

He had never been so nervous in his life.

Today was his first day back since that call over in Lawndale. Since he'd gotten injured...and since Capp had died. It had been three and a half months. Who would have known that a damn bruise would take so long to heal?

He leaned forward against the vanity, hands spread on either side of his sink. He shifted his weight from his left foot to his right and then back again...and again.

He was fine...he told himself. The doctor had signed off...and the department had cleared him. He was fine.

Now if he could just convince the butterflies in his stomach...butterflies that were rolling and diving like the Blue Angels.

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He could hear his children downstairs...it sounded like Andy was maybe teasing at his sisters...and Maggie and Lexi were giving it back the same as he was dishin' it out.

As he slowly made his way down the steps he held onto the banister, continually evaluating his ankle with every step. He could do this...couldn't he?

Lyssa came out of the kitchen to see what was taking him so long, and worry clouded her dark brown eyes as she watched Kelly moving slower and slower.

She met him at the bottom of the stairs and he stepped into her waiting arms. He pulled her to him and held her tight.

"Are you okay?" she asked quietly.

"I don't know." Kelly said. "It doesn't feel right."

"You've been just fine the last couple days..."

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They took their conversation into the living room...where the kids couldn't overhear. Kelly draped his arm around his wife's shoulders and leaned on her as they went...just like he had a month or so before when he was just starting to walk without the crutches.

"Kelly, what's wrong?" Alyssa asked again.

"It just doesn't feel right." he repeated. "I don't know what it is...maybe I did something to it when I was riding bikes with the boys...or when I was giving Maggie and Lexi underdogs at the park yesterday."

Alyssa was rubbing her hands up and down his arms...over and over...again and again.

She didn't want to discount what her husband was saying...but at the same time she had a feeling it was mostly nerves that were to blame for what he was feeling right now.

"Do you want me to call Dr. Darrow? Maybe he can see you this morning..." she offered.

Kelly took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

Just having Alyssa close to him helped settle him. It always did.

She loved him...and everything was going to be all right.

"No...I think I'm just nervous about going back. It's not gonna be the same...it's not gonna be the same without Capp there."

It just went to show you...you never knew what was gonna happen when the bells went off. So many 'what-if's'...what if he had been in the lead? What if they had gone down the back stairs...instead of trying to go out the front? What if they had been a little faster...or a little slower? How was it that Capp had lost his life while Kelly had gotten off with just a bruised ankle?

"Kelly...I really think you need to go back...even if it's just to get some closure." Alyssa said softly. "If you decide you're done being a firefighter...then you're done being a firefighter. We'll just move on to the next phase of our life...whatever that is. But you can't make a decision this important based on fear."

Kelly hugged her close again.

She was right...she usually was.

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The entire company was waiting outside as he strode up to the firehouse.

There were whistles...and cheers...and applause.

Leslie launched herself at Kelly and hugged him around his neck.

"Welcome back!" she said as she nearly choked him. "It's so good to have you back!"

He twirled his best friend around and set her down.

Cruz, Otis and Hermann all slapped him on the back.

"Good to have you back, Lieutenant!" Cruz said.

"Hasn't been the same without you!" Hermann added.

Kelly passed through the crowd...and he came to Mills...who just pulled him into a 'man-hug'.

"Welcome back, Lieutenant." was all he had to say.

Severide moved on to Clarke...and the two men clasped hands and slapped one another on the shoulder.

"Thanks for coverin' for me..." he said.

Casey and Boden were the last in line.

Severide held out his hand...and Boden returned his firm hand shake.

"Good to have to back." the Chief said in a husky voice.

Then Kelly turned to Casey...his friend...his fellow Lieutenant.

The two just looked at one another...then they both broke out into a couple of grins.

They walked into the station side by side.

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There was one person who hadn't joined in the love fest out front.

Wilson just scowled as he mopped the apparatus room floor.

Even when the Lieutenant wasn't here...he still managed to make things difficult.

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Right after he had gone back to work...right after his first shift no less...Wilson hadn't been home an hour even when there was a knock on the door.

It was the cops...a young woman...if you could call her that...and an older guy...maybe in his fifties. He had a long, Italian sounding name on the nameplate on his chest.

"Trey Wilson?" the cop asked.

"Yeah..."

"My name's Officer Boungiovanni...is this also the address for a 'Veronica Tabor'?"

"Yeah...why?" Wilson asked.

"May we speak to her?" Boungiovanni asked.

Why was that name familiar?

Wilson racked his brain trying to remember. Then it hit him. That kid...down at the firehouse that one time. The one who graduated from play firefighter's Academy...whatever the hell it was called.

The one who said he was Severide's nephew.

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"What for?" he said defensively.

"We'd just like to speak to her." the cop said.

"Fine."

He stepped aside and let the two cops in.

"Veronica!" he called out. "Somebody wants to talk to you!"

Veronica came from the bedroom where she had been cleaning. Her heart just about stopped when she saw the two police officers standing there.

"Yes?" she said in a shaky voice.

"Are you Veronica Tabor?" Nicky asked.

He knew she was. He'd met her dozens of times when she was living at the Severide's. But he wasn't about to let Wilson in on that fact.

"Yes..." she said again.

"Some friends of yours asked us to check up on you." Nicky told her. "They're worried about you."

With good cause. Nicky was dismayed at the sight of her...hair all chopped up...wearing torn clothes...and there were fresh bruises on her wrists and her neck.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

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As he watched the exchange Wilson seethed. He might have known Severide was behind this. Severide and that bitch Alyssa. They were trying to make trouble for him.

Veronica was shaking like a leaf inside...she wanted more than anything to run to Nicky...and have him get her out of this hell. But on look at Trey's face...and she knew she couldn't. He might get a slap on the wrist...he might spend a few nights in jail...he'd surely get kicked out of the CFD. But in no time at all really, he'd be back on the streets. And then she'd never be safe. He might hurt Alyssa and the kids...he might hurt her family. There was no telling what he'd do.

"I'm fine." she replied.

"You're friends were worried that they hadn't seen you." Nicky said carefully, hoping she'd read between the lines.

"I've been staying close to home..." she said hesitantly.

"She had an accident." Wilson blurted out. "She had a bad accident."

Then words hung in the air...then Veronica nodded reluctantly.

"Yes...I had an accident."

"What kind of accident?" Nicky asked.

"She was getting out of a cab downtown..." Wilson said. "And her scarf got caught in the door...and the cab started to drive away."

Nicky and his partner looked at one another. It seemed that would be the kind of thing they might have at least heard about. Hell...every news station in town probably would have reported it.

"And when was this?" Nicky wanted to know.

"Just the other day." Wilson said. "She was really shaken up."

"Yes..." Veronica added...her voice sounding like it was coming from somewhere far away. "Yes, it was terrible."

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The female officer cut in.

"What happened to your hair, Miss?"

No woman would go out looking like that.

"Oh...she got a really bad dye job." Trey answered for her. "The girl had no clue what she was doing."

"I was speaking to Miss Tabor, sir." the officer said.

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Wilson glared at her. Who the hell did she think she was? Talking to him like that in his own home? She thought she could talk to him that way? Ugly, butch girl...

"He's right." Veronica replied softly. "It was horrible. I was just so upset...I started cutting at it with a scissor...now look at me."

"Are we done here?" Wilson asked abruptly. "Cause I just got home from a twenty-four hour shift...and I'm exhausted."

Nick Boungiovanni looked at Veronica...then at Wilson...then back at Veronica again. He hadn't heard anything to suggest that the young woman was in imminent danger. She'd have to come out and make an accusation for him to ask. As for the marks on her...they could be explained by the story the pair had just told. Well, the story he had told...she just backed it up. It was implausible...but without an accusation, a request for assistance, or flat out catching him beating the crap out of her...there was nothing they could do here.

"We're done." Nicky said...locking eyes with Veronica one last time.

She looked away.

"Then if you don't mind..." Wilson said, opening the door wide.

He was tempted to bodily throw the two cops out and down the stairs.

The officers reluctantly backed out the door.

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Just as Wilson was about to slam it in their faces...the female officer turned.

"What's with the padlock?" she asked, flipping the giant lock with two fingers.

"Oh...the landlord here's so cheap." Wilson said. "These damn locks, you can slip 'em with a credit card. There was a robbery in the building next door last week...and with me gone for twenty-four hours at a time...and Veronica coming and going...we didn't want to leave our home unprotected."

And with that he shut the door.

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The team was doing all the little tasks they had to do to get squared away for a shift.

Kelly checked over every inch of the Squad...all the gear...just getting himself reacclaimated.

"So...how was the vacation?" Mills asked. "All that fun in the sun?"

Kelly and Alyssa had taken the kids away for spring vacation at the beginning of the month...they had gone to the Bahamas...stayed at an awesome resort. They had some good family time...he and the boys had gone snorkeling and ridden Wave Runners...and swam with the dolphins. He built sand castles with the girls and took them in the ocean. They walked along the water's edge and picked up seashells...and all the kids had buried him in the sand.

They went to a beach party...and he and Alyssa had gotten a couple of nights out on their own. The twins were old enough to stay in the adjoining rooms with their sleeping sisters while Mom and Dad went for a late dinner at one of the restaurants at the resort.

"It was really awesome..." Kelly said. "A perfect vacation."

"I saw the Facebook posts..." Mills said. "Looked like you all had a good time."

Kelly nodded.

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"What's been goin' on around here?" he asked, looking around to make sure Wilson wasn't anywhere within earshot.

"You know...status quo..." Mills said.

The Candidate hadn't done anything to really stand out...but he hadn't fucked up royally either.

"I'll just be glad when he moves it on down the line." Mills told him.

Kelly made a noise under his breath.

When Nicky had come to tell him what he and his partner had seen...what Trey and Veronica...mostly what Trey had said...

What was infuriating was that there was nothing they could do.

Hopefully she was okay.

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"Engine 51...Truck 81...Ambulance 61...Squad 3...Bomb Threat...5336 W. Eddy."

Severide slammed the door to the compartment shut and started throwing on his gear.

"Welcome back, Lieutenant..." Clarke said as he jumped in the back. "You can have your old seat back."

"Thanks..."

"Y'know...they really outta do something 'bout that busted spring." Clarke quipped. "It's a real pain in the ass."

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The trucks rolled up...and the cops holding the perimeter moved the barricades to let them though.

"What do we got here?" Boden asked.

The incident commander from the CPD brought him, Casey and Severide up to speed.

"Thirty six year old male suspect...holed up in there with his father and his sister. He's got at least one gun...and he says he'd got the whole house rigged to blow."

"What's he want?" Severide asked.

The cop shook his head.

"Nothin'...he says he hates his life...he lost his job...his house...his wife...kids...and he's blaming the father. He's threatening to kill himself...and he says he's takin' them with him."

"What kind of explosives?" Boden wanted to know.

"No clue..." the cop told him. "We tried to get up to the house...but he shot at us through the window.

The three firefighters looked at the three bullet holes in the plate glass window in the front of the house.

"So we're waiting for...?" Casey asked.

"Whatever his next move is."

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The two Lieutenants groaned and went back to their men.

"So what's the story?" Clarke asked.

"We're waitin' for some nut job to decide if he's gonna shoot himself or blow the whole place to hell." Severide said.

"Great..." Clarke replied sarcastically. "Anybody got a deck of cards?"

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They didn't have to wait long...there was some loud screaming...and two shots.

The men all instinctively hit the deck...then moments later slowly got back on their feet.

"What the hell was that?" Mills asked.

"Exactly what you think it was." Clarke answered.

There were more ear piercing screams.

"Dad! Dad!" a woman screamed from inside the house. "Help! Help! My father's been shot!"

Shay and Dawson started moving...but Boden blocked their way.

"I can't let you go in there." he said.

"Chief...someone's been shot!" Shay said.

"I heard...but this guy's a loose cannon...I can't put you in that kind of danger."

The screams from the house were growing more and more frantic.

"Someone help us!" the woman cried.

"Shut up!" a male voice shouted back. "Shut up or I'll blow his fuckin' brains out!"

"Chief, we gotta get in there..." Dawson told him.

"Negative." Boden replied.

"We'll go..." Mills volunteered.

The firefighters all looked at one another.

Mills was a qualified medic...he could do the job.

"Yeah..." Severide agreed. "Me n' Mills'll go."

He wasn't about to send one of his men in there by himself.

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They turned to the cop who was running the show...

He went to the officer handling the negotiations...as much as you could negotiate with a guy who didn't want anything except to die.

The screams kept coming from house.

"Hurry...somebody...please!" the woman screen. "He's bleeding! Please...please! Somebody!"

Severide stepped forward, Mills was right behind him.

He had to get in there.

But Boden held them back.

"Okay..." the hostage negotiator said. "He said someone can go in and take care of the dad!"

That was all Severide needed to hear. He and Mills grabbed the jump bags and quickstepped up to the house.

A woman...about forty...threw open the front door.

"In here!" she cried..."He's in here!"

She led them through the house to a back bedroom. There was an elderly man lying face down on the floor with two bullet holes in him...one in his left shoulder, the other was under his right arm.

It wasn't good. Kelly thought about all the vital organs in between those two holes...

Mills checked the victim for a carotid pulse.

"Weak..." he said. "Roll him, Lieutenant."

Together the two firefighters log rolled their victim onto his back. There was an exit wound low on his left chest, and Kelly couldn't tell which entrance wound t corresponded with.

Mills got the oxygen started and slipped the mask on the man's face. He began trying to get a line in, but he was having trouble.

"His veins are shot." Mills said under his breath.

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"Patch him up..." the son said. "Patch him up and get the hell outta here."

"That's not how this works..." Severide said. "We're gonna have to get him to the hospital."

"No...no way!" the guy said. "We're all stayin' right here!"

Mills gave Severide a look that let him know the father didn't have much time.

"What's your name, man?" Severide asked.

"Ryan...Ryan McDermott..."

"Good Irish name..." Kelly said. "My name's Kelly. Kelly Severide."

Ryan was looked jumpy...pacing back and forth, looking at the gun in his hand like he'd never seen it before.

"So what's the story here, Ryan?" he asked. "What's goin' on?"

"It's all fallin' apart. It's all fallin' apart..." Ryan mumbled.

"What is, man?" Kelly said. "Tell me about it."

"He's blaming Dad for how shitty his life turned out!" the sister yelled. "He made a mess...and it's always someone else's fault!"

"Shut your mouth Rebecca!" Ryan yelled. "Just shut your goddamn mouth!"

"Okay...okay." Kelly said, trying to defuse the situation. "Let's just calm down..."

He turned back to Ryan.

"So what's the problem?" he asked.

"My wife...my wife...she left me...my kids..." Ryan babbled.

"That sucks..." Kelly said.

"She says I don't express myself...we don't communicate."

Kelly nodded.

"Yeah...women are into all that stuff."

"And I was so fucked up...with her leavin'..." Ryan said. "She took my kids...my boys..."

"I hear ya, man." Kelly told him. "I'd go nuts without my boys..."

"They're my whole life...Alex and Justin...they're my world..."

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Mills caught Kelly's eye. The dad was circling the drain...they needed to get moving.

"So what's all this got to do with your old man?" Kelly asked. "What're you so pissed with him for?"

Ryan stopped his pacing.

"I always thought he was the perfect dad!" he cried. "He worked hard...he brought home a paycheck...but Tori...she wanted me to _do_ stuff! Play baseball...video games...spend quality time!"

"So that's it?" Kelly asked.

"So I tried to do all that stuff...I tried...but I sucked at it...we were all fighting all the time! And I was so fucked up...I told my company's biggest account to fuck himself..."

He raked his fingers through his hair, and Kelly was chewing his heart...that gun was waving around.

"My dad never did anything with me! We never played ball...we never talked or communicated...or whatever the fuck Tori wants. I don't know how to do all that shit. How was I supposed to learn?"

This guy was way 'round the bend. He shot his old man because they never tossed the ball around.

Whatever...he just had to get them out of there.

The dad didn't have time.

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"Listen, Ryan..." he said. "I get it...my old man...he was a sonofabitch. Walked out on me and my mom when I was four...only ever came around when he wanted something. I get it..."

"I lost everything...my wife...my kids...my job...my house." Ryan wailed. "I've got nothin'! Nothin'!"

He turned his back on Kelly...and put his hands...gun and all on top of his head.

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Kelly saw his opportunity.

Quick as a receiver going off the line...he rushed at Ryan...grabbed the hand with the gun...and took him down. He slid the gun across the floor and twisted Ryan's right arm high behind his back. He pinned his left arm to the floor while Ryan cursed and hollered and fought.

"Knock it off!" Severide shouted. "Just...stay down! It's over, man...it's over!

Ryan let out an anguished cry...and suddenly all the fight just went out of him. He lay on the floor sobbing his heart out.

Kelly took a deep breath.

"Chief!" he said over the radio. "You can send Shay and Dawson in. Situation's secure."

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The paramedics packed the father off to Lakeshore...and Severide hoped he'd make it. Ryan was on his way to Lakeshore too...to the Behavioral Health unit. And Squad 3 and the bomb squad had swept the house...and Ryan had been right about one thing. He had enough explosives to level a city block.

Where he had gotten them...that was a question for the cops...not the firefighters.

Kelly came out of the house and as he walked down the block to the Squad he dug his phone out.

"Hey..." he said when the call went through.

"Kelly...are you okay?" Alyssa asked.

"Yeah..." he told her. "Yeah...I'm fine. Everything's okay."


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter 34**

"Why am I the only one ready to go?" Kelly called out from the dining room. "C'mon! We had to be out the door ten minutes ago!"

Getting six people out the door shouldn't be a major production number.

At Station 51, twenty people could mobilize in full gear in under a minute. Six people shouldn't take three hours!

It never failed to blow his mind.

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Andy and Jesse came thundering down the stairs, and for once Kelly didn't tell them to slow it down.

Okay...half the family was ready to go.

Now they were waiting on the other half.

Today was the day Morgan and Shaina were getting married again. They had had a quickie "shotgun" wedding on her parents' farm in Kentucky right before their daughter Laura Jeanne was born, but now they were doing it the way they wanted to...make that the way Shaina wanted to.

Kelly practically got down on his knees and thanked whatever higher powers might be listening that _his _wife was so low maintenance. They had a ceremony on the lawn at the firehouse...and a reception at Mills' diner...and Alyssa thought it was perfect. She never wanted to do it again.

Even though Shaina was a TV star, Kelly had never pegged her for a diva...until she started planning this wedding. He watched his buddy sign check after check and contract after contract...and he nearly had a heart attack when Hollywood had told him the tally for all the expenses. It was like a house...and a car...and a boat...and a Harley. And he'd still have enough left over for a really nice vacation.

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"Lyssa!" he called out. "What're you doin' up there?"

Alyssa came down the stairs carrying Lexi with Maggie bump-bump-bumping behind on her bottom.

"C'mon...we're gonna be late..." Kelly said, reaching for Lexi. "We've gotta get dressed..."

"I know, Kelly." Alyssa snapped. "I know what we have to do!"

He didn't have a clue what all went into getting two little girls ready...especially when trying to squeeze a good long nap into the game plan. Both girls had a bath and a shampoo...she had to pack a bag with their quiet toys...another with their jammies...get her own makeup bag together...not to mention making sure all six of their outfits were perfect and that they all had clean underwear, socks...the shoes were there...

And all the while trying not to wreck her nails.

Kelly just had to make sure he didn't cut himself when he shaved.

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Wisely deciding it was best to keep his mouth shut, Kelly hustled the kids out to the stretch Hummer Morgan had sent over for the occasion.

"I want my guys to arrive in style!" was what he said last night at the rehearsal dinner when he'd sprung that little piece of news on Andy and Jesse.

Half the neighborhood was standing out on their front lawns watching the Severide's get into the car and driving slowly down Byron.

"This is so cool!" Andy said in awe. "It's like we're pro athletes or something!"

"Movie stars!" Maggie chirped up.

"Moonie tars!" Lexi echoed.

Kelly smiled and reached over to tickle his girls.

"How 'bout princesses?" he said as the girls giggled.

Then he slid closer to Alyssa...who was still stressed beyond words.

He put his arm around her shoulders and whispered in her ear.

"And my queen..." he said, before giving her a gentle kiss.

She gave him a little smile to let him know she wasn't mad at him...before she settled in against his strong shoulder.

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The car wove through the downtown traffic...and even though the kids had all been in the heart of the city time and time again they all looked out the windows gaping at the skyscrapers like they'd just rolled in off the farm.

"You guys remember all the stuff from the rehearsal last night?" Kelly asked. "You know what you have to do?"

"I gotta walk Miss Jeanne down the aisle and take her to the front row." Andy said. "Then come stand by you."

"And I gotta walk with Morgan's grandma." Jesse said.

Kelly nodded. Then he looked at his girls.

"And what does Lexi do?"

"Hoh-d Beebee Yo-yah's hand..." she answered.

"That's right...hold Laura's hand. You're gonna take care of her...cause she's so little." Kelly told her.

He still wasn't sure the one year old and the two year old were gonna make it down the aisle...especially once there was a room full of people watchin' 'em...but they were gonna try.

"And what about you, Baby Girl?" he said to Maggie. "What's your job?"

"Throw rose petals on the floor." Maggie said with a big smile.

It was a dream come true...she got to dress up like a princess..._and_ throw stuff on the floor and nobody was gonna yell at her. What could be better?

"And what about you?" Alyssa asked him. "Do you remember all the things you've gotta do?

Kelly started counting on his fingers.

"Hold onto a ring that costs more than I make in a year...make a speech in front of about five hundred people...and keep Hollywood from passin' out when he gets the final bill."

Alyssa rolled her eyes and giggled softly.

"Piece of cake, Severide..." she said.

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When the car pulled up in front of the hotel, four bellmen came out with carts to take the Severide's things to the bride and groom's rooms that had been set up for the wedding party to get ready.

Kelly scooped Maggie and Lexi into his arms and herded Andy and Jesse in front of him and Alyssa as the family headed inside.

Once they got through the door both the twins came to an abrupt halt.

They'd never seen anything so fancy in their lives.

"Holy Cow..." Jesse breathed.

"Are we allowed in here?" Andy asked.

Kelly chuckled.

"Of course we're allowed in here, Buddy. It's a public place..."

"Is a castle!" Maggie piped up. "For a princess!"

"That's right." he told them as he hoisted both girls up a little higher. "A castle for Princess Maggie and Princess Lexi."

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They took the elevator to the mezzanine where Morgan and Shaina had rooms set at opposite ends.

It was kind of ridiculous when you really thought about it. They'd already been married almost two years...what were they gonna see that they hadn't seen already? At least to Severide's way of thinking.

A far cry from him and the guys getting dressed in the locker room at station 51...and the girls over in the bunkroom.

First he took Alyssa and the girls to the Bride's room.

"Are you gonna be okay with them?" he asked.

Alyssa was having her hair and her make-up done by a professional Shaina had hired...and the girls were having their hair fixed too.

"Yeah...we'll be fine. Right girls?" she said. "You're gonna be super-good? Right?"

Maggie and Lexi nodded.

"Besides, Leslie should be here soon." Alyssa told him.

He'd forgotten Shay was coming...and she'd agreed to come way early to give Lyssa a hand.

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After dropping off the girls, the Severide men made their way to the opposite end of the mezzanine level to the Groom's room.

Morgan Craddock was waiting for them.

"There's my guys!" he said, pulling the twins in for a fierce hug.

Kelly looked around the huge room...completely empty except for the four of them.

"Where is everybody?" he asked.

Beside him and the boys, Morgan's three brothers were standing up...and so was Shaina's brother Vance.

"They won't be here for a couple hours yet. I knew you guys were gonna be here early so the girls could get all prettied up.

"So what're we gonna do?" Jesse asked.

"Sit around and stare at each other?" Andy finished.

"Watch the smart mouth, Andy..." Kelly warned.

Morgan was just a big buddy to both Andy and Jesse. He hung out with them...played video games, watched movies...and laughed as hard as they did when someone burped or farted. He tossed the ball around with them, ate junk food and took them on all kinds of adventures. But for as much as Hollywood acted like a big kid...the boys had to remember he was still a grown-up.

Morgan waved it away...whether or not he was a grown-up was a topic for debate...at least according to him.

"You think I wouldn't take care of my guys?" he asked, with mock indignation.

He led the twins over to a huge TV set up with their favorite X-Box games...in HD none the less. And if on cue three uniformed waiters came in the door with carts and covered trays.

Andy ran over to check out the spread with Jesse hot on his heels.

"Yes!" he cheered...giving a mini-fist pump.

Kelly looked at Morgan as if to say 'what'd you do?' and went to see what Andy was so excited about.

The trays were filled with snacks...mini bacon cheeseburgers, loaded potato skins, quesadillas, wings, and loaded nachos.

Andy prob'ly thought he'd died and gone to heaven.

Another waiter had a tub full of ice and cold soda for the boys...and Morgan had also ordered plenty of beer for him and Kelly.

"Everything we need to hang out till it's time to get ready." Hollywood said with a grin.

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Kelly was so nervous, you'd have thought he was the one getting married.

It was five to five and they had to take their places soon.

He sent Andy and Jesse on their way to get in position to escort Morgan's mom and grandma down the aisle...then caught a quick glance at himself in the mirror.

Just as he had predicted back when Hollywood got married in Kentucky, he was wearing a monkey suit. He had a black tux with a black shirt...in his usual monochromatic style, with a muted red and black vest and tie.

Andy and Jesse, as usual, were his mini-me's...although they weren't so mini anymore. At twelve and a half they were catching up to him pretty fast.

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The men came out from behind the curtain that was hung across the front of the room, concealing most of the reception area. Immediately Kelly's eyes fell upon his wife sitting in the front row beside where Morgan's family would be.

She literally took his breath away, she was so beautiful. Was it possible that she could look more beautiful after thirteen years of marriage than she had on their wedding day? He didn't know how, but the answer was right in front of him.

Alyssa wore a long, silver dress with a lace top that came off her shoulders. Her hair was caught in a half up, half down style, and her long hair cascaded in curls over her shoulder and down her back. The lights caught some little rhinestones in her hair...and her earrings sparkled with crystals and rubies. She wore a pearl necklace with a ruby charm right in the center and a red rose corsage on her right wrist.

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The string quartet and flute combo began to play some light...airy sounding piece of music, and Shaina's mom was walked down the aisle by some nephew of hers, a tall, gangly young man who looked so out of place in a suit it was pitiful.

Then Jesse came...carefully leading Morgan's grandmother Marianne down the aisle. The eighty-nine year old woman had had hip surgery this past winter, and Jesse was very attentive to her.

Andy followed his brother, escorting Morgan's mom, Miss Jeanne.

After the boys came the bridesmaids...friends of Shaina's ...one of her co-stars from Chicago Fire...and her older sister as the matron of honor.

Kelly held his breath as the two little girls came into view. There was a collective sigh from about four hundred guests...they were so adorable. Lexi wore a red dress that played perfectly with her dark brown hair...which that fancy hairstylist had actually managed to curl. The top of the dress was covered in little rosebuds and it tied in the back in a big red bow. And to top the whole thing off, she wore a crown of red and white baby roses.

Laura wore the same dress, only in white...and she held on to Lexi's hand as she toddled unsurely down the aisle.

Out of the corner of his eye Kelly caught Morgan gesturing for her to keep walking...to come to Daddy.

Maggie came behind the little girls, she wore the same dress as Lexi with the same crown of flowers...and she carried a white basket full of rose petals which she dropped all the way to the front.

Kelly breathed a sigh of relief when both his girls were sitting beside Alyssa in the front row. Laura was across the aisle with Shaina's mom.

The doors in the back were shut...and moments later opened again to reveal the bride. Shaina was beautiful in her big, white princess ball gown bedazzled with more jewels than Kelly had ever seen in one place in his life. He cast a sideways glance at his friend...and wasn't surprised to see the big softy wiping the tears from his eyes.

Shaina was beautiful...but Kelly couldn't take his eyes off _his _bride.

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Veronica was exhausted.

She hated the days Trey was off...because he was always finding things for her to do...and then complaining she never did anything right. He made her do the same chore again and again till he was satisfied.

Right now she was cleaning the refrigerator, this time with q-tips to make sure she got every speck out of every nook and cranny. This was the fourth time she had done it...and if this time wasn't right, she was going to have to throw out half the food. Then Trey would be upset at her for wasting his food and throwing his money away. Or worse...he might make her eat it.

She hadn't slept in thirty-eight hours...and she wasn't sure how much longer she could go on.

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Trey was in the bedroom...looking through the dresser drawers and the closet. After he'd come home from the hospital, after he nearly _died_ in the line of duty...he had banished Veronica's belongings to a couple of cardboard boxes in the corner. Why should she hang those torn up rags in his closet? But he looked through the drawers every now and then to make sure he hadn't missed any of her crap...or she hadn't tried to sneak anything back in.

He dumped all six drawers onto the floor. They were a mess from his rifling through them and everything needed to be re-folded.

She could do that when she finished the fridge.

Then he moved on to the closet.

He yanked the doors wide open and stared at his shirts and pants hanging on the rod. He flipped through the hangers...taking a quick inventory...then he yanked everything down piece by piece. His shoes were on a hanging wrack on the inside of one door and he pulled those down as well. He looked at the clear storage boxes up on the self, clearly labeled with whatever was inside...he grabbed one that said "sweaters" and tore it open.

Just as he suspected...one of Veronica's old sweaters...one he hadn't seen in a long time...so long she prob'ly forgot she had it.

He balled it up and whipped it across the room.

He tore through the rest of the boxes and found two more of her things.

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Then his eyes fell on something in the corner on the closet floor.

It was a suitcase. Veronica's suitcase...why wasn't it in the storage locker? What was it doing in here?

Trey grabbed the handle, expecting it to be light, but it was full! It must have weighed fifty pounds! What the hell? Was she planning to _leave_ him? To go back to Severide's?

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He hauled the thing onto the bed and unzipped it.

He didn't find what he expected. Instead of clothes and shoes and whatever...it was full of composition books...the kind they used to use in school. There must have been seventy or eighty in there! Maybe a hundred! What was she doing with all these?

He grabbed the first one off the top and flipped it open.

It was full. Every page...front and back...covered in Veronica's perfect handwriting.

He began to read...The Maiden of the Lake...by Veronica Tabor.

It was a story about a girl who had left her family in search of adventures...but she had met a man. A horrible, evil man who beat her and made her work like a slave in his tiny cottage by the lake. One day when the man was away on business a stranger rode by on horseback. At first the girl was afraid...but the man asked for some bread and something to drink. He had been traveling for days looking for work and he was hungry. The girl gave him food, and then he asked if he could sleep in the stable for just one night. She almost said no...she was afraid the man she lived with might come back...but the traveler looked so tired and pale...and he had gentle eyes.

Trey flipped through the pages...the traveler became ill...and the girl took him into the cottage and nursed him back to health. They fell in love...and months passed with no word from the man whose cottage it was.

But one day the man came back and was furious to find a stranger in his house with his woman. The two men fought, but the evil man was no match for the strong, young traveler. Besides, the traveler was fighting for his lady love. He killed the evil man...and the two buried him in a shallow grave in the woods. And they lived the rest of their days in the little cottage.

As he skimmed the pages, Trey's anger reached a boiling point. There was no doubt that the maiden was supposed to be Veronica. That was evident by the way she described her...and the evil abusive man was _him_! It was as plain as day! She might have come right out and called him Trey!

He grabbed another book...and another...and another. They were all full. Full of stories she had written.

When had she done this? When had she had the time? When she was supposed to be cleaning the apartment? Washing his clothes? Cooking his meals? No wonder she did such a shitty job! Her head was full of all this _nonsense_! All these...stories...when the only thought on her mind should have been_ him_! Him and how to satisfy his every want and desire!

She'd been thinking about someone else!

Probably Severide.

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The ceremony was over...and everyone moved into the French Room next door for cocktails.

Kelly headed for the bar and the bartender poured him three fingers on a seventy-five year old single malt Morgan had been saving for a special occasion. He took his drink over to a table in the corner where Alyssa and Leslie had parked the girls with some cheese and grapes.

"Mmmm..." he said as the amber liquid slid down his throat.

He slipped his arm around his wife's slender waist.

"You look gorgeous." he whispered. "I'm sorry we don't have a room upstairs..."

Alyssa rolled her eyes.

"Have I ever told you you have a one-track mind, Severide?" she whispered back.

"Can you blame me? When there's a woman this beautiful right here in front of me?" he told her.

"All right, you two..." Shay interrupted. "Single person and two kids here..."

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"Veronica?!" Trey yelled as he hauled the suitcase into the living room. "What the hell is all this shit?!"

He dumped the notebooks out all over the floor.

"What are these?!" he yelled. His face was turning red and there was a vein bulging at his right temple. "What are these?!"

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Veronica saw what he had...and she felt the blood draining from her face.

He had found her notebooks. The ones she had been keeping for over three years...ever since she had moved in with him. Ever since he had gotten rid of her laptop so she couldn't wasted her time on the internet and whatever.

"Oh God..." she whispered. "Oh my God...no...no..."

"What did you say, Bitch?!" Trey hollered. "How dare you?! How dare you do this to me?!"

He shoved the notebook he had just read in her face.

"You wrote this about me!?"

He backhanded her across the mouth.

"How could you write this shit?!"

He opened the book and started to rip out a handful of pages.

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Suddenly a primal scream filled the tiny apartment.

"NOOOOO!"

Veronica lunged at Trey. She startled him and she knocked the notebook from his hands. She couldn't let him destroy all her hard work! It was like he was destroying her!

"Those are mine! Don't touch them!" she screamed.

"Yours?!" he yelled. "Everything in this house is _mine_! _Mine_! Including that pile of shit..._and_ the bitch who wrote it! IT'S MINE!"

He hit her again...this time with a closed fist. She saw a flash of light from her left eye as he connected...and then dark spots. But she struggled to stay on her feel. She lunged at him again, this time her jagged nails caught his face and she gouged and raked them down his cheek.

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That only infuriated him...and he howled in pain...and pure, unadulterated rage. He grabbed her wrists. She managed to yank her left one free before he tightened his grip and she pounded at him ineffectually.

He still had a hold of her right wrist...and slowly...but forcefully he began to twist it.

Veronica was so distracted as she tried to hurt him, she didn't even feel the pain...until the bones cracked and snapped.

"AAAAHHHH!" she screamed. "You bastard! You broke my arm!"

His fist flew again, and again it connected with her left eye...then he threw her to the floor and began to kick her. He kicked her stomach...her ribs...her face.

She rolled away and tried to shield herself...but Trey grabbed her.

"You bitch! Don't you ever hit me! You think you can touch me!? I own you, Bitch! I _own_ you!"

He grabbed her by the hair...and ripped a clump from her head. It was finally starting to grow out again...and he was going to rip her bald!

"You're shit!" he screamed. "You're not even shit! You're nothing!"

He stooped down and grabbed a book and hit her across the face with it.

"You think you're so smart?! You think just because you went to college that makes you better than me?!"

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Veronica was gasping for breath.

"I _am_ better than you!" she hissed, not even recognizing the sound of her own voice. "You're the one who's _nothing_! Nothing but a _coward_!"

Suddenly she felt something kick her in the teeth...his boot was coming toward her face!

She rolled away before he got another kick in. Her jaw felt funny...like her teeth weren't straight anymore...and the pain. The pain was threatening to make the world go dark.

Veronica knew she couldn't let herself pass out. If she did that was the end. He would kill her this time.

No...she had to get away.

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Ignoring the pain in her broken wrist...she managed to crawl toward the bathroom...and when she was about halfway there she got to her feet. She stumbled inside the tiny room and slammed the door.

She turned the lock...as Trey was pounding on the door.

"Get back here, Bitch!" he screamed. "Come out here right now!"

But she braced herself against the door, knowing if he decided to kick it in she was dead. The door rattled on its hinges and any second now she was sure it was going to fly open...but she managed to hold on.

"You wanna stay in the bathroom, Bitch!" Trey screamed. "Fine! Stay in there!"

Outside the door she heard something scraping.

What could he be doing?

Then it was silent.

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It had been a long day.

Kelly and Andy carried the two little girls in their jammies from the limo upstairs to bed while Jesse helped the driver bring in all the bags.

Once he was gone, Jesse and Alyssa climbed the stairs.

She went into the girls room to tuck them in...taking a moment to smooth Maggie's curls. Then she moved over to Lexi's bed and covered her with her pink blankie.

They were so sweet...so adorable in their beautiful dresses...so precious as they spun and spun around on the dance floor.

Lyssa and Kelly both steered the twins across the hall.

"Hit the sack, guys..." Kelly said.

Andy and Jesse went into their room...and Kelly and Alyssa headed down the hall to theirs.

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He closed the door behind them and turned to his wife.

Reaching around behind her he found the zipper and slowly, carefully pulled it down...all the while never taking his eyes from her face.

As the dress slid to the floor, he reached up into her hair, and he pulled the pins that here holding it in place. Tress by tress it began to fall, and every second it seemed he fell deeper and deeper in love.

"You're beautiful, Alyssa." he said in a husky voice. "You were the most beautiful woman there tonight..."

"Kelly..."

"Shhh...no talking." he told her. "You put Shaina to shame...I've never seen anyone...or anything...more beautiful than you."

He leaned in to kiss her.

"And you're all mine..."he whispered just before his lips met hers.


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter 35**

Kelly groaned as the alarm went off.

He could seriously kill Hollywood for planning his wedding on a night when Black Watch had to work the next day.

He'd only had about six hours of sleep...and he'd had a few too many at the bar.

But at least three quarters of the company was in the same boat he was.

He reached out and smacked the alarm clock, trying to connect with the snooze bar. Once he found it he sat up, groaning again as he did.

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Veronica wondered what time it was. She had been on the bathroom floor all night. She hadn't dared to turn on the light for fear Trey might see it under the door. At least in the dark he'd left her alone. The air in the tiny room was so stale it was choking her...but she hadn't dared run the fan. And her mouth was parched...she had dried blood on her face and in her hair...and her left eye was swollen shut. But again, she didn't dare turn on the water.

This was what being locked in a dungeon...or a cellar...or falling into a deep pit must feel like. If she wasn't so terrified and if she wasn't in pain...she might use this in a story. But right now make-believe was the farthest thing from her mind.

The light was beginning to come through the frosted window. Any moment, Trey would be getting up to go to the firehouse. He'd have to open the door...he'd have to use the bathroom and shower. What would he do?

There was a time when she would have fantasized that he'd look at her...see what he'd done...and felt immediately remorseful. He'd help her up, tenderly clean her wounds...maybe he'd even call in and take her to the hospital, where he'd sit at her bedside and beg for her forgiveness.

But now she knew better.

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The shower didn't do much to help him wake up...and he'd swallowed down a couple of Aleve for his headache. There was nothing left to do but go downstairs.

Alyssa had coffee ready.

What was it Hermann said every time she came to the firehouse with something to eat?

'God bless that woman...'

"Morning..." he growled, as he took his coffee and sat down at the table.

Alyssa came up behind him and began to massage his neck and shoulders.

"Ohhhhh..." Kelly groaned as she hit just the right spot. "That feels so good."

"You gonna be okay today?" she asked softly.

"I don't really have a choice." he said. "I'm a little short on leave time...and we said we wanted to take the kids to Cedar Pointe next month."

They had done a big vacation at the beginning of April...when they went to the Bahamas...but he wanted to get away at least once during the summer. And the amusement park over in Ohio looked like it had something for everyone. They were planning to go with Joey and EmmaLynn and the kids...so everybody would have plenty of company and each couple might even get a night to themselves. That was the current plan, anyway.

Hopefully it would be an easy shift.

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"What's the game plan around here?"

"Jose is taking the boys to Great America..." Lyssa said.

Jose Vargas had been retired for about fifteen years after he breathed in toxic fumes on the job...and it had lead to the discovery of COPD. It had ended his career...but as long as he took care of himself it didn't slow him down. He was always over, helping Kelly with projects...and taking Andy and Jesse to camp when Kelly had to work...or taking them to ball games...bowling...and their annual kick-off to summer, a trip to Great America.

"And Mouch is taking the girls to that new exhibit at the Children's Museum."

As much as he loved Andy and Jesse, Mouch had a real soft spot for Maggie and Lexi. He was taking them to an exhibit called "The Streets of Yester-year"...where they had built city "blocks" of about three to four "buildings" each to represent different periods in history...the seventeen hundreds, the eighteen hundreds, early nineteen hundreds...the forties and the fifties... the seventies and eighties...right up to today. There were about ten "blocks" in total. And the kids could go in and interact with actors...stack the pretend goods, work the machines, make pretend ice cream sodas...whatever. Maggie would probably love it.

"So you've got the place to yourself..." Kelly teased. "You're prob'ly gonna stuff yourself on chocolates, read trashy romance books...watch soap-operas..."

Like Lyssa had ever done any of that stuff...

"Oh...damn...you figured it out..." she teased right back.

He looked over at the clock...

"I gotta go, Babe." he told her...his voice heavy with regret.

Alyssa stepped back to let him get up...and when he did, he turned around and took her in his arms.

"You know...after looking at my wife last night...all dressed up..." he said as he looked deeply into her eyes, and softly traced one finger down her cheek. "Havin' to spend the next twenty-four hours with a bunch 'a sweaty firefighters...that's cruel and unusual punishment."

"Sweaty firefighters can have a certain charm..." Lyssa told him with a wicked gleam in her eye. "Especially one in particular..."

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The sun was up now.

It had to be close to seven...maybe even past.

Veronica pressed her ear to the bathroom door, straining to catch some sound...anything to tell her what Trey was doing.

She _thought _she heard movement...water running. Whatever it was he was being unnaturally quiet.

Finally, she heard the front door...she was certain of it. But what if it was a trick? What if Trey called in sick or something...and was just laying in wait?

Veronica drew a trembling breath...telling herself to get it together. She had to think clearly if she was going to get herself out of this. She knew no one was coming to help her. The other apartment on their floor was empty...had been for months and months. The two tenants who lived on two...one was a man who drove a truck, so he was gone at all sorts of crazy hours. The other was a woman who was starting her own restaurant...and she might as well live there.

The first floor was occupied by an old woman who never went anywhere...she never even opened the door. And the last apartment was the super's...and he was usually drunk.

She began counting...slowly. She'd count to six hundred...that would be ten minutes. If she didn't hear anything after ten minutes, she'd come out. One...two...three...four...five...six...

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The team got through roll call...and set about getting squared away for the rest of the shift.

All the men were moving at half speed...Casey, Mills...Hermann...Clarke. Everyone had had a little _too_ much fun the night before.

The men of Station 51 weren't about to let all that top shelf liquor go to waste.

Wilson seemed unnaturally quiet. Even though everyone was still giving him the cold shoulder, he usually tried to engage them. More of those 'Daddy issues'...'did you see what I did?'. Or else he was bitching and moaning about something or another.

Whatever it was...it was getting old. In fact...it had long past its expiration date.

Severide couldn't help but notice...the marks on his face. Three distinct parallel lines, and the hint of a fourth. Kelly knew what those marks were from. He'd been gouged by someone's nails before.

What had happened to the Candidate? Did it have something to do with Veronica? Had she finally fought back? And what had he done to her?

He also noticed Wilson was keeping his right hand hidden from view. Why? Was something wrong with it? Maybe he was trying to hide bruised knuckles...like from a fight?

Severide caught the Candidate's eye...and the hard look he saw sent a chill right down his spine.

He pushed himself up out of his chair to go find Casey. And the two of them would get to the bottom of whatever this was.

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"Truck 81...Ambulance 61...Squad 3...traffic accident...Clark and Narragansett..."

There was a collective groan as the men ran to get into their gear and on the trucks.

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Five hundred ninety seven...five hundred ninety eight...five hundred ninety nine...six hundred.

Veronica took another breath...to gather her courage. Then she popped the lock and grabbed the doorknob with her left hand. Her right was useless...her wrist was swollen and her fingers were numb.

She turned the knob...nothing. Nothing happened. She pulled on the door, but it didn't budge. She pulled with all her might...even bracing her right arm against the door frame. But it was no use. She was trapped.

She ran to the sink and tore frantically trough the medicine cabinet and the storage space underneath...trying to find something...anything...she could use to help her get out. But there was nothing there. Nothing at all.

Think...she told herself...think.

She turned on the cold water and gulped down four cups of water...then soaked a hand towel in the water and wrapped it around her wrist.

The cold brought _some_ relief...it felt good anyway...but she needed a lot more than a cold compress.

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Now that her thirst was abated, she was a little more focused.

The door was out. Whatever Trey had jammed in there was holding fast. The odds of someone hearing her if she screamed were slim to none. She had to get out of the bathroom. She had to get out. If Trey came back...and she was still alive...he'd kill her for sure. She knew that. He'd kill her if for no other reason than to show that he held the absolute power over her.

There was only one way out.

The window.

She clambered into the huge claw foot tub. The window was nailed shut. Trey had driven two long, heavy nails into the lower edges of the narrow window...three months ago when he had turned the apartment into her prison.

Had it really been that long? Had it really been that long since she'd seen or talked to another human being? God...what had happened to her? How had she turned into this? How? Why?

Stop it...she told herself. Panicking wouldn't get her out of there.

She went back to the medicine cabinet to look for something heavy...to no avail. A can of shaving cream was the heaviest thing she found...and that sure as hell wouldn't break the glass.

It was hopeless.

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She sank down in the tub and drew her knees up tight. It hurt her stomach and her ribs where he had kicked her...but she didn't care. What did it matter?

She thought of the contents of the medicine cabinet again. Mouthwash...aspirin...Motrin...vitamins. Allergy tablets. Would all that stuff together be enough of a lethal cocktail to kill her? If she took everything in the medicine cabinet would she go to sleep and never wake up?

If she did, what would he do with her? Would he call the police? Or would he do what he'd always threatened...put her out with the trash. Would they discover who she was? And track down her family?

She thought of her mom and dad...and her brother and sister...her grandma. Would they ever know? Would they ever even find out she was dead? Or would she end up in a pauper's grave...with no record of who she was?

But suddenly she remembered something...something Trey had obviously never noticed...or he had forgotten about.

Veronica scrambled out of the tub and over to the sink. She pulled open the doors below and started yanking out the extra toilet paper, the extra shampoo and soap...the toilet bowl cleaner. Finally, she reached though to the very back of the cabinet and her left hand closed around the hard, cold metal of a crescent wrench.

She lifted the heavy tool and drew it to her. It was old and a little rusty. It had been there a long time...since before she had moved in. She suspected it had been left behind by the previous tenants...maybe even the ones before that.

It didn't matter who it belonged to...it was hers now. And it was going to get her out of here!

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Squad 3 pulled up on the scene of the accident.

Standard fare...three cars. The southbound car had t-boned an eastbound car, pinning the passengers in. Then another car had hit the eastbound one, compacting it and wedging it in tight.

The truck guys were already moving from vehicle to vehicle, assessing the condition of the passengers.

"Hey! Severide!" Casey called out. "Over here!"

Kelly ran over to the passenger side of an old Chevy sedan. The must have been eight people crammed in there...mostly young kids, ranging from young teens to toddlers. There was a woman...Kelly guessed she was the mom...with her head at an odd angle and a kid in her lap screaming bloody murder.

"Agonal breathing in the female..." Casey told him. "The kid's right leg's pinned."

Great. They were gonna have to start in the middle.

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"Clarke!" he yelled. "Mills! K-12's! Peel back this top!"

He stuck his head in the window.

"How 'bout you guys?" he asked the kids in the back. "Anybody hurt?"

About four of them started talking at once.

"My foot's stuck under the seat!" a boy about Andy and Jesse's age said.

"My arm's hurt...and my body!" another said from across the seat.

"Jada's not talkin!" a little girl said.

Kelly looked.

There was a girl...maybe eight or nine...staring straight ahead...not moving...nothing.

"Jada!" he said loudly. "Can you hear me?"

The girl started to shake.

"She's doin' it again!" the other girl cried out.

"She's got epilepsy." the oldest boy said. "She has seizures almost every day."

"Has she had any since the accident?" Severide asked.

"This'll be three..."

Shit!

"Shay! Dawson!" He yelled. "We got an epileptic kid havin' a grand mal seizure!"

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Severide ran around to the driver's side and yanked the door open.

Damn thing almost fell off! This hunk 'a junk probably wasn't even street legal...and if they didn't work fast it would be end of this family.

The driver...a man in his maybe early thirties...was dazed and bleeding from a head wound.

"Hey!" Kelly yelled at him. "We're gonna get you outta here."

"Chest..." the man said weakly. "Chest hurts like a bitch..."

Kelly put his hand on the victim's chest wall.

"Aaahhh..." the man gasped.

Crunchy feeling...massive injury.

What else could go wrong over here?

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Shay came up beside him.

"Whaddya got?" she asked.

"Flail chest...head wound...probably internal injuries."

In other words, nothing good.

"We got it." Leslie told him.

Clarke and Mills were cutting through the metal on either side of the windshield.

"We got it, Lieutenant..." Mills yelled.

Severide jumped in there and the three plus Tony began to peel back the top of the car...just like a sardine can.

In the distance Kelly could hear more sirens coming. Reinforcements...extra ambos...he hoped it was enough. They had three critically injured in this car alone. He had no idea what was going on in the other two.

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Veronica stepped back into the tub and heaved the heavy wrench into the window. And even though she was expecting it, she screamed when the glass shattered. Shards went flying in every direction...outside, raining down into the alley way...in the tub with her. She knocked the jagged pieces away as best she could...and stepped carefully over to the window sill.

She stuck her head out, and got her first glimpse of the outside since...she didn't know. Too long.

To her right was the fire escape. Technically it was outside the bedroom...but if she leaned out the bathroom window and really stretched, she could touch it. And that's what she had to do.

Ignoring her broken wrist...she stretched out and her finger tips were just able to skim the metal rail. Biting her lip against the pain, she forced her fingers to curl around the bar and grab hold.

Gathering her courage she got the rest of her up onto the sill. The tub was slick...and she knew she had cut her bare feet on the glass. But that couldn't matter...she only had this one chance.

Pushing off the sill with her left foot as hard as she could, she grabbed the metal rail of the fire escape and pulled herself up so her left arm was over the top. She quickly shifted her grip and inch by inch she pulled and pulled...adjusted...and pulled again.

It seemed like forever...her feet dangling three stories above the alley...but it was prob'ly just a minute or two. Veronica grunted and groaned from the pain and the exertion but she managed somehow to pull herself over the rail and tumbled head first onto the fire escape.

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She lay there for a minute...pain paralyzing her...then she looked up at the sky. She was out. She was free.

She took a deep breath and using her left hand hauled herself to her feet. She leaned heavily against the rail as she walked around to the ladder. She'd have to drop it from the third floor down to the second...and she grabbed a rung. It was heavy...and she couldn't move it with just the one hand. So again, steeling herself against the pain she grabbed hold with her right hand as well and was able to lift the ladder from its latched position and drop it to the lower level.

She climbed down slowly, carefully. Besides her wrist...she was dizzy. That's what happened when you were forced to stay awake for days...not able to take in proper nutrition...and living in a state of constant terror.

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Veronica's bloody feet touched down on the second level, and she caught a glimpse of her reflection in the glass. What she saw caused her to gasp...it was that frightening. She was gaunt and she knew she was pale. Her left eye was indeed swollen shut and her cheek puffed out like she was storing nuts for the winter. Her jaw hung slack...that was the most tolerable position and her hair was a fright.

Her blouse was torn and tattered and her jeans were ripped down the right thigh.

She looked like something out of a horror film.

She debated trying to get into one of the apartments. Maybe there was someone home...someone that would call 911. But she didn't really know anyone...she didn't know if she could trust them.

There was only one person she knew would help her...and she had to get there.

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The last ambulance pulled away from the scene with the last victim.

What a morning...between the three cars there were thirteen people...ten of whom were injured.

Hadn't anybody ever heard of seatbelts?

The flatbeds arrived to haul away the cars...and the cops would look 'em over to see if there were any mechanical issues that had figured into the crash. But most likely it was a combination of stupidity and 'me first'.

And Severide had caught a whiff of alcohol on the dad's breath from the overcrowded Chevy.

They were cleaning up...so traffic could get moving again...when Casey came up to Kelly.

"Just heard over the radio...that mom didn't make it. She died en route to Stroger."

Kelly sucked in his breath. Not the thing you wanted to hear on a Sunday morning.

And now seven kids were motherless.

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Casey turned to go.

"Hey..." Kelly said to him. "What's Wilson doin'?"

"Sweepin' up, why?"

Kelly looked around to make sure no one was listening.

"Did you get a load 'a his face? Those scratches? And back at the house...he was hidin' his right hand." Severide said in a low voice. "I think somethin' went down with Veronica."

"Like what?"

"I dunno...but we should maybe go check on her." Kelly told him. "Or send somebody."

Casey was silent for a moment...then he nodded affirmatively.

"All right." he said. "As soon as we get back, you and me'll take a ride."

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Veronica hit the ground and crumpled to the pavement.

She had made it...made it down three stories on the fire escape...and she was in the alley behind her building. She hadn't been outside in months...not even to take out the trash. That was one chore Trey took upon himself to do...even though he bitched and made horrible comments about how someone like him shouldn't be handling the trash. But he was too afraid she might run away. Why, she wasn't sure. It's not like he loved her and couldn't live without her. Now she realized it was either that he needed to beat up on her, physically and emotionally in order to build himself up into whatever twisted image he had made. Or he was afraid she'd go to the police and he'd get in trouble.

She pushed herself to her feet and looked around to get her bearings. Then she started down the alley.

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There was no one on the side street as she wobbled and weaved...just concentrating on putting one foot in front of the other. She made her way toward Irving Park...and then she'd cross over. She'd take Meade to Byron...and then...

Then what?

She'd just show up at Alyssa and Kelly's door? What would happen when the kids saw her? Wait...what day was it? Would they be there? Would they be frightened by her horrible appearance? What would Alyssa say?

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Once she got onto the main street there were people. Some stopped and stared...some got the hell out of her way.

A man came up to her and grabbed her arm.

"Are you okay?" he asked. "Do you need help?"

Veronica looked at him, her eyes wide with fear. She didn't know him...

No...she shook her head.

She just wanted to get to Alyssa and Kelly's house. She wasn't far...

She pulled her arm from the stranger and continued to walk down Irving Park Road...

She staggered into the street...and she heard some car horns. She didn't have the light...but she couldn't stop moving. She had to keep going. If she stopped, she'd fall down. One foot in front of the other...one foot in front of the other. That's what she kept telling herself.

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Squad 3 pulled into Station 51.

Severide jumped down from his seat and shrugged off his coat. God that thing was a bitch in the summer. After two and a half...actually closer to three hours outside in full gear, he was dripping in sweat. One look around...and he sure wasn't the only one.

He shoved his pants down until he could step out of them. Then he followed twenty other sweaty firefighters to the locker room to shower.

And then he and Casey would take a little field trip.

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Who could be ringing the doorbell? Alyssa wondered as she came from the laundry room.

Most people they knew came around the back...and the door was usually opened...at least during the day when the kids were running in and out.

She opened the front door...and when she saw who was there...she gasped and jumped back.

But she quickly recovered from the shock.

"Oh my God! Veronica!" she cried. "What'd that bastard do to you?"

Veronica's voice sounded strange...her words weren't forming quite right.

"Lyssa...help me? Please help me?"

Alyssa held out her arms to the girl and brought her inside.

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Kelly had just finished getting dressed and he grabbed his keys from the top shelf of his locker. Just as his hand closed around them, his phone went off.

Forever...It's forever...this time I know it, there's no doubt in my mind...

"Lyssa?" he said. "What's goin' on?"

He listened to what she had to say...and he could feel the blood draining from his face.

"I'm on my way..." he said, before he ended the call.

Everybody stopped what they were doing and stared at him as he grabbed his keys and ran out the door.


	36. Chapter 36

**Chapter 36**

Kelly stepped up to the desk.

"Yeah...a friend of mine was brought in?" he said. "Veronica Tabor?"

The clerk punched a couple buttons on her computer.

"Trauma One."

Trauma?

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Severide jogged down the hall and hit the switch plate to open the double doors.

The moment he stepped into the ER he saw his wife, standing outside the closed door to the Trauma Room, hugging herself to keep from coming apart.

"Lyssa!"

The moment she heard his voice, she flew into his arms.

Kelly hugged her tight...tangling his fingers in her hair...pulling her as close as he could.

"Thank God you're here..." she whispered.

"What the hell happened?"

She had been so upset when she called him...all he could make out was 'Veronica' and 'hospital'.

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Now he led her over to two chairs against the wall, out of the way. She was shaky as she took a seat and Kelly knelt down in front of her.

He took her hand in his and with the pad of his thumb he rubbed gentle circles across the back.

"Now...tell me." he said.

Lyssa drew a ragged breath...and tried to collect her thoughts.

Since the minute Veronica showed up, she'd been running on auto-pilot. She hadn't even gotten an explanation...she put her arms around the girl, and led her through the dining room...out to the kitchen...stopped to grab a couple ice packs and towels...her purse...and she hustled Veronica out the back door into the car.

She'd driven to the ER...and called Kelly on the way.

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"I don't really know..." she said. "I was doin' laundry...and the doorbell rang...and it was Veronica."

She looked up at her husband, tears in her eyes.

"Honey...she looked horrible...all skin and bones...she was covered in blood. Her wrist is broken...I'm sure her jaw is too. Her eye was swollen shut. Her clothes were torn to pieces...she had a huge chunk of her hair _torn_ out!"

Kelly slowly got to his feet and then he sat down beside his wife.

He draped his arm around her shoulders...completely in shock. On the one hand, he was glad Veronica was out...that she was someplace safe. But what Alyssa was describing...

His blood boiled with anger...his stomach churned...and he was ready to go back to 51 and tear the sonofabitch limb from limb. Let him see what it's like to be the victim...

Alyssa must have read his mind.

"Kelly...we need to let the police handle this. We tried it the other way...but now he's gone too far."

She was right.

Wilson hadn't changed...he was never gonna change.

They had to stop him so he couldn't do this ever again...to anyone.

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A doctor stepped out of the room and into the hall and Kelly and Alyssa got to their feet.

"Are you here for Veronica?" the doctor asked.

"Yeah...I'm Kelly Severide...and this is my wife Alyssa."

"I'm Dr. West, Chief Resident. Do you know if she's got any family?"

"She does...but I don't know how to contact them." Alyssa began.

"She lived in our house for three months." Kelly interrupted. "She's family to us."

Alyssa nodded in agreement.

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"What'd he do to her?" she asked.

"Do you know who did this?" Dr. West asked. "We haven't been able to get much out of her."

"Yeah." Kelly said. "Her boyfriend. His name's Trey Wilson...he's a Candidate at Station 51, where I work."

The doctor wiped his hand down his face.

What had happened to this woman was brutal. He'd seen people shot...stabbed...burned. He'd seen people come in in pieces after a car wreck. But it was these kind of cases...where someone had beaten another person with their bare hands...stood toe to toe with them...looked them in the eyes...and their weapons were their fists.

"Do you think she'll press charges?" he asked.

"We'll see to it." Kelly said. "This isn't the first time he's hit her...but I guarantee, it's the last."

"Doctor...please." Alyssa said. "What's wrong with her?"

Dr. West shook his head slowly.

It was a long list.

"Your friend's in bad shape." he said finally. "She has multiple fractures...radius and the ulna...left mandible...that's the lower jaw."

"I know..." Alyssa said. "Go on."

"She has what's called a blow-out fracture of the left orbit...that's..."

"I know." Alyssa said again.

It was all too familiar.

She felt Kelly stiffen beside her.

"She's got two broken ribs...and there's evidence of healed fractures as well." the doctor said. "She's also suffering from malnutrition...dehydration...we're going to admit her."

Alyssa and Kelly both felt sick.

"Can we see her?" he asked.

Dr. West nodded his consent, and Kelly and Alyssa stepped warily into the Trauma Room.

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Veronica looked like she was asleep...and if it wasn't for the beeping of the heart monitor, Kelly would have thought she was dead.

It was worse than he thought.

He heard his wife let out a choked, tortured sound...and he immediately wrapped her in a tight hug.

"Shhh..."he whispered. "It's okay."

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The two approached the cot.

"Veronica?" Alyssa said in a trembling voice. "Veronica? It's Alyssa and Kelly..."

Slowly, Veronica opened her right eye, and struggled to focus on her friends standing in front of her. She felt numb. Between the pain killers that had been pushed into her...and finally, finally letting go of the tension...coming out of 'survival' mode...she was floating away.

"Hi..." she whispered weakly.

Tears were welling up in Alyssa's eyes...and Kelly's too.

This was too much...he thought. Wilson was going to pay for this...one way or another.

"Veronica..." Lyssa said. "We have to call the police."

The girl drew in a sharp breath...and winced in pain.

"There's no other way."Alyssa told her. "And you can do this. You can. You're strong."

But Veronica wasn't so sure.

"Stay with me?" she mumbled.

"We're not goin' anywhere." Kelly assured her.

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Even though it hurt to talk...and it hurt to hear it...Veronica told them the whole story. Everything that had happened since she had left their house and gone back to Trey.

When she was ready, Kelly went outside and approached Dr. West, who was sitting at the nurse's station.

"She wants to talk to the cops." Kelly said. "She's ready to press charges."

Dr. West grabbed the phone.

He wanted to make the call before his patient changed her mind.

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They moved Veronica to another treatment room...somewhere a little quieter...with a little more privacy. And a little while later there was a knock on the door.

Dr. West came in with a Chicago Police Officer.

"Veronica...this is Officer Stephanie Diamante. She'd like to talk to you for a bit if that's okay."

"Can my friends stay with me?" Veronica asked.

Officer Diamante smiled gently.

"Of course." she replied. "Whatever makes you feel the most comfortable."

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Kelly felt Alyssa breathe a sigh of relief.

Officer Diamante had an easy, gentle look about her, she had a soft voice, and kind eyes.

He remembered when the police had actually come to take Alyssa's statement...all those years ago. They had sent two male officers...a younger guy who wasn't so bad...but the senior officer was from the old school...and you could tell he was at least partially blaming her for what had happened.

Kelly had stayed in the room...holding onto Lyssa's hand even though the senior officer tried repeatedly to get him out. They had had words...and Severide was about three seconds from doing something that probably would have gotten him arrested. Only the sight of Alyssa...looking so terrified and so vulnerable...had kept him in check. She needed him...and he wouldn't have left her at that moment for all the money in the world.

He could tell that's what his wife was thinking about too.

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"Why don't you tell me a little about you first?" Officer Diamante said, taking a seat on a stool and sliding close to Veronica's bedside. "Take your time...and if you're getting tired we can take a break."

She took out her phone.

"Do you mind if I record this?" she asked. "That way I don't have to stop and take notes...we can just talk."

Veronica nodded slowly.

The young officer was quickly winning her trust.

The story tumbled out...agonizing piece by piece...and it was about as painful to listen to as it probably was for Veronica to tell it.

Just to think that she had been locked in that apartment...p_adlocked_ no less. It was like something out of horror film...and Kelly was sick to think that this had been going on...when Wilson was right there in front of him...and he hadn't had a clue.

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Alyssa tightened her grip around him...both for him as well as for herself.

But the last part was the worst.

"He came out of the bedroom..." Veronica said in a tired voice.

Talking all this time was painful...but once she started, the words poured out of her, like water rushing over a dam. She couldn't stop.

"He found my suitcase...with all the notebooks..."

"What notebooks?" Officer Diamante asked.

"All the notebooks I kept." she said. "All the stories I wrote. He got rid of my computer...so I wouldn't have any distractions."

She shifted on the bed...grimacing in pain as she did.

"Trey said _he_ was the only thing I should be thinking about...that _he_ was my whole world...and every thought I had should be _him_. How could I please_ him_? What did I have to do to meet _his_ every need? How could I make myself into _his_ perfect servant?"

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Kelly turned around and walked out.

He didn't want to. He wanted to be there for Veronica...and for Alyssa...who was having as hard a time as he was stomaching this...this...narcissistic _bullshit_. But if he didn't get out of there...and get some control...Kelly knew he was gonna hit something.

At least until he could get back to the firehouse and hit _someone_.

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Veronica saw Kelly leave...and for a minute she panicked.

What if he didn't believe her?

But then she looked at Alyssa ...and saw the tears running down her friend's cheeks. And she knew Lyssa believed her...knew she was telling the truth. Lyssa had known what kind of man Trey was all along.

She took a slow, deep breath...as deep as she could...and went on.

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"But you can't just turn your mind off...you can't just stop thinking...so I bought notebooks...at the dollar store...on sale at Walgreens...whenever I could get some money out of Trey...and I wrote my stories out long-hand. I wrote dozens of 'em...and I had almost a hundred notebooks full.

"And when he found 'em...he dragged the whole thing into the living room and he dumped 'em on the floor. He was screaming..."How could you? How could you do this to me?"...Like it was all about him...everything's gotta be all about him!"

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Kelly slipped back into the room again...a little more in control now.

Just in time to hear about the grand finale.

"He started to tear up the notebooks...and I just snapped. It was like he was tearing me apart...like he was destroying me! All these months...whenever Trey hit me...I just...kinda floated off someplace else...and it was like he was doing it to someone else. But those stories...those are me! And I couldn't float away!"

"So what did you do, Veronica?" Officer Diamante asked softly.

This was the hardest part about her job...but it was the reason she became a cop in the first place.

"I just snapped...I scratched his face..."

So that explained the gouges...Severide thought.

"And then what happened?" Officer Diamante said.

"That's when he grabbed my arms...but I managed to pull one away...and he had a hold of my right arm...and he was bending it...and I felt the bones breaking!"

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Alyssa put her hands to her face...covering it so Veronica couldn't see.

Veronica had to tell the story...she had to get it all out so they could arrest Trey and throw him in the deepest, darkest hole they could find...to make him pay for what he had done. She couldn't see what this was doing to Alyssa...that it was forcing her to relive the night she was attacked.

Kelly could see...he knew...and he crossed the room to take Lyssa in his arms again.

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"And then what?" Officer Diamante prompted.

"Then he hit me...and threw me on the floor. He kicked me...over and over...he kicked me...and he ripped my hair out...it was finally growing back...and he just tore it out with his bare hands!"

Her breath was coming hard and fast...and her eyes...well, her right eye anyway was wild with fear.

"He smacked me across the face with the notebook...the spiral...it cut me...and he asked if I thought I was better than him...because I went to college."

Officer Diamante reached out to her...and gently covered Veronica's left hand with her right.

This girl had been through hell.

It never failed to blow her mind how these men...in the loosest possible connotation of the word...could be so built up with self-importance...only to cover up their own sense of self loathing.

Veronica was better than this guy...Trey...she was worth a thousand of him.

Now she just had to get to a place where she could believe it. And this was the first step.

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"I called him a coward..." she whispered..."And he kicked me in the teeth...literally..."

"How did you get away?"

"I managed to crawl into the bathroom...I crawled in there and I locked the door...I thought he'd break it down...but he didn't. I stayed in there all night...and when I thought he was gone I tried to get out...but he'd jammed the door.

"So I broke the window...and I climbed down the fire escape! Then I walked to Alyssa and Kelly's house."

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She'd walked a little over a mile...ten blocks...injured and bleeding...with no shoes on. She had crossed a major city street...four lanes of traffic...to get to the Severide's.

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Shortly after Veronica had finished her statement, a resident and two nurses came to take her upstairs.

Alyssa stroked the girl's head while they waited for the elevator.

"I'll be up in just a few minutes." she told her friend.

Veronica nodded...and Kelly and Lyssa watched the elevator doors close.

Then they turned to Officer Diamante.

"So what happens now?" Kelly asked.

The young officer linked her thumbs over her belt...and looked up at Severide.

"I go back to the precinct, and I'll write up the complaint. Then I will _personally_ hand it to my captain...and stand there till he signs it. And once he does...I'll be over to arrest the sonofabitch."

Severide nodded.

"Sounds good." he said. "He'll be down at the firehouse...and twenty firefighters'll make sure he's ready and waitin' for you."

Officer Diamante smiled.

"I shouldn't say this...but I'm gonna really enjoy puttin' this guy in handcuffs."

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Severide knocked on the door to Chief Boden's office.

"Enter!"

Kelly opened the door and stepped inside.

"Chief..."

"You better have a damn good reason for runnin' out like that." Boden said.

"Oh...I do. Believe me." Severide told him as he pulled a chair back. "You're gonna wanna sit down for this.

Boden took his seat behind his desk...an uneasy feeling washing over him.

The tension at the house was reaching a point where something was going to have to happen...and it wasn't gonna be pretty. It had been that way ever since the lieutenants had uncovered Wilson's deep, dark secret. But since they'd lost Capp...a damn good firefighter...a brother...and the Candidate had come back from his medical furlough...the situation had become almost untenable.

It was no way to have to work...the job was stressful enough.

And even though the men had reluctantly agreed that they should keep Wilson around...if for no other reason than to keep an eye on him...Boden had put in a call to the top brass as soon as they got back from moppin' up that car accident. He wanted that SOB out of his house.

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"What's goin' on?" the Chief asked.

"I think we better get Casey in here." Severide said.

Boden sighed and reached for his phone.

"Connie...could you page Lieutenant Casey please? Ask him to report to my office."

He hung up.

"Can you give me a preview, at least?" he said.

"Wilson."

That was all that needed to be said.

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Casey joined them in the office and Severide got down to business.

"I'm sorry I just took off like that, Chief..."he said. "Lyssa called me...and Veronica showed up at our house. She was all bloody...her wrist was broken...her jaw...eye swollen shut. Her clothes were torn to pieces...she didn't have any _shoes_!"

Boden gripped the arms of his chair till his knuckles turned white.

Forget transferring Wilson...he was done. And Boden was gonna make good on that promise to kick him to the curb.

"Anyway..." Severide continued. "Lyssa rushed the girl over to Lakeshore...and she called me."

He took a deep breath.

"Chief...it was worse...worse that I could have imagined." he said. "He locked her in their apartment...padlocked the door from the outside. Nailed the windows shut! This'd been goin on for months! And last night...he beat her up...and she managed to get into the bathroom. He jimmied the door somehow from the outside...and she had to break a window and climb three stories down the fire escape."

"My God..." Casey said in utter disbelief.

Kelly nodded.

"The hospital...they called the cops...and Veronica made a statement. And Officer Diamante...that's the cop who took it...she's comin' down to pick him up as soon as the captain signs the order. We just gotta keep an eye on him till she gets here."

"With pleasure." Casey told him.

"You two go get him...I'm gonna call the brass." Boden said, reaching for the phone again.

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The two Lieutenants went out to the common room...the whole team was there...except for Wilson.

"Where is he?" Severide asked.

"Who knows?" Hermann said.

"Who cares?" Cruz added.

"I'll go find 'im." Casey said. "You bring 'em up to speed."

And Casey went off in search of there soon to be dismissed Candidate.

Make that soon to be arrested.

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"What's goin on?" Hermann asked.

"The cops are comin' to arrest him." Severide said. "He beat Veronica last night...broke her wrist, her jaw...ribs...eye socket...she's in the hospital right now. But it gets even better. He's been holdin' her prisoner for months...lockin' her in their apartment from the outside. She had to break a window and climb down the fire escape to get over to my house."

"You're shittin' us." Clarke said.

"I wish to God I was..." Severide told him. "I wish to God I was."

"That no-good sonofabitch..." Hermann muttered.

But those words weren't nearly strong enough...

"What're we gonna do?" Cruz wanted to know.

"We're gonna hold him here..." Severide said. "We're gonna keep him right here till the cops get here."

"What if we get a call?" Otis asked.

"Boden's handling it." Severide said.

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Wilson knew something was wrong the minute he saw Lieutenant Casey walkin' toward him...and when he said the men wanted to see him in the common room, every instinct the Candidate had was to run.

But he walked in front of Casey...and as soon as he stepped in to the room, Cruz and Hermann blocked the door.

Clarke and Mills were blocking the door to the locker room...and a couple of the Engine guys were blocking the door that led to the office.

"What's goin' on?" Wilson asked warily.

Severide shook his head.

"Nothin'...just hangin' out..."

"Yeah...just shootin' the shit..." Hermann added. "So you were sayin', Lieutenant...Lyssa had a visitor this mornin'?"

"Yeah...someone she hadn't seen in months and months." Kelly said.

Wilson felt the blood drain from his face.

They were talking about Veronica. She'd gotten out somehow...how?

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"So...how's those anger management classes goin', Wilson?" Otis asked. "They goin' good? You learnin' anything?"

"None of your damn business." Wilson said...uneasiness creeping into his voice. "That stuff's supposed to be confidential."

"Only if you're actually goin' to 'em." Mills spat at him. "When you lie through your teeth...all bets're off!"

"I don't know what the fuck you're talkin' about."

"Give it up." Severide snapped. "Veronica's in the hospital...and they called the cops! She told 'em everything! Everything!"

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The words hung in the air...

And suddenly Wilson bolted for the door!

Cruz and Hermann stood their ground...and a couple more Engine guys moved in to back them up.

Wilson backed up again...into the center of the room and turned around slowly...sizing up his chances against Mills and Clarke...and the Engine guys.

Tony and the new Squad guy...Newhouse...stepped in front of the office door to add a little more muscle.

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Apparently realizing he was trapped...Wilson crumpled onto a chair.

"Okay...okay...I admit it!" he said...voice quivering...tears threatening to break loose any moment. "I'm sick! I can't help myself! I just...I love her so much! But then this...this...rage...comes...and I can't stop it! It's like I'm watchin' someone else...and I'm paralyzed!"

All around the room...men rolled their eyes. No one was buying that crap...not even for a minute!

"You guys..." Wilson cried. "You gotta help me! I can't stop myself! I'm sick! I'm sick!"

"Well...that's the first truthful thing I heard come outta your mouth." Hermann said. "That you're _sick_!"

"What about the part where you kept her locked up like an animal?" Severide asked sarcastically. "And withheld _food_? She's suffering from malnutrition! Was that part of your _sickness_?!"

"You're just a sadistic sonofabitch." Clarke said.

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Then it was like somebody threw a switch.

Wilson jumped to his feet and turned on Severide.

"This is all your fault!" he screamed. "If you woulda just minded your own goddamn business...none of this would have happened! But no...you had to go and interfere in my private life! You and that goddamn meddling bitc..."

Kelly rushed at the Candidate...and before anyone could move Severide laid him flat with one punch.

He dropped down, one knee on Wilson's chest...fist drawn back, ready to let him have it again.

"You shut your mouth!" he yelled. "You don't talk about my wife! I told you once...I'll make you regret the day you were ever born!"

Casey grabbed Severide from behind and pulled him off the Candidate.

"Take a walk..." he said under his breath. "Cool off..."

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Wilson scrambled to his feet as Kelly stalked out of the common room.

"You all saw that!" he yelled. "Are you gonna let him get away with that? With hitting a fellow firefighter?"

He looked around.

"Are you all just gonna stand there?"

"I'll take a shot at 'im..." Clarke said, squaring his shoulders and taking a step forward.

"Hey...I got seniority!" Hermann called out.

"Oh...let me..." Mills cut in. "Please..."

"No...this goes according to rank." Casey decided, crossing his arms over his chest. "And the line forms to the right."

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Outside Station 51, Severide paced back and forth...opening and closing his right hand...trying to slow his heart rate and get his blood pressure back down to normal.

He'd never seen anything like it...the guy flip-floppin' all over the place...angry one minute...bawlin' the next.

But when he opened up his mouth about Alyssa...

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He heard sirens...and seconds later two squad cars pulled into the drive.

Officer Diamante got out of the first car...and a tall, African American officer got out of the driver's seat.

"Lieutenant..." Diamante said.

"He's inside." Severide told her.

Diamante nodded and headed into the firehouse, her partner and another male/female team right behind her.

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About three minutes later...she and her partner walked Wilson out, hands behind his back...straight to the squad car.

Kelly could hear her reading him his rights.

"You have the right to remain silent...anything you say can and will be held against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney...and to have that attorney present during questioning...

She opened the rear passenger door...and her partner shoved Wilson's head down and put him in the car.

The team followed the cops out the door...and they all watched as the cop shut the door and went around to the driver's side.

Officer Diamante opened the passenger door...and she just nodded to Severide and the rest of the team before she got into the car.


	37. Chapter 37

**Epilogue**

The next morning as soon as their shift was over, Kelly, Casey and Boden went down to Twenty-Sixth and Cal. Wilson was being arraigned today.

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The three men sat in the second row and watched as their now former Candidate was led in the side entrance...and Severide took note of the black eye the guy was sportin'...

The Court Officer read the charges...assault...battery...unlawful imprisonment...attempted murder...

"Trey Wilson..." the judge said. "How do you plead?"

"Not guilty." Wilson said...loud and clear.

Severide clenched his right hand into a fist...ignoring the stiffness from his bruised knuckles.

All part of the process...he reminded himself. All part of the process.

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"The people request bail in the amount of five hundred thousand, Your Honor." the prosecuting attorney called out.

"Your Honor..." Wilson's court appointed lawyer cut in. "My client can't possibly raise that kind of money...he's a first year Candidate with the Fire Department...he only makes about thirty thousand a year..."

"Well, fortunately the County will provide him with room and board." the judge dead-panned. "Bail is set at two hundred fifty thousand dollars."

She banged her gavel.

"Next case."

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"He's not a first year Candidate anymore..." Boden said under his breath to his lieutenants. "Commissioner wants as much distance between him and the department as humanly possible."

"Amen to that." Casey said.

"You ain't kiddin'..." Severide agreed.

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The three watched as Wilson turned around.

He saw the three firefighters...and gave them a scathing look. Then he turned to a couple seated in the front row.

"You better get me the hell outta here!" he hissed at them, fire flashing in his eyes.

The bailiffs moved in to take him back to the holding cell.

"You better get me outta here!" he said again...this time a little louder.

Kelly stood up.

He wasn't sure who those people were...but they didn't look like they were in a position to do much of anything...at least not to the tune of twenty-five grand...the requisite ten percent of the bail amount.

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Once Wilson was gone, the couple slowly got to their feet...and the woman grabbed hold of the man's arm.

They were haggard and beaten down...and as they stepped out into the aisle Severide saw that they weren't as old as he had originally thought.

Neither one could be more than ten years older than he was...but they'd obviously been through a lot. The man had a few strands of grey hair combed over his mostly bald head...and his eyes and mouth were sunken into his wrinkled face.

His thin shoulders were bent and stooped over and his threadbare suit jacket hung on his gaunt frame.

He looked down at the floor and his feet shuffled as he walked.

The woman had thin hair...more grey than brown...gathered in a limp pony tail. She wore a dark blue polka dot dress that was at least a dozen years old. That much was obvious even to Severide.

She dabbed at the tears rolling down her cheeks with a ratty tissue.

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"I was afraid this would happen someday..." she said in a shaking voice as she walked past Kelly. "Where did we go wrong, Arthur?"

The man shook his head.

"We never had any control over him...even as a little boy." he said. "That temper of his...it was too much...even then..."

He drew in a ragged breath...and let it out in a defeated sigh.

"We tried, Roni..." he said. "We tried our best..."


End file.
